CHM will be open Monday, 5/26, with FREE admission for Illinois residents MORE

Close
Search
buy tickets

Latest Posts

In this installation of the North Lawndale History Project series, North Lawndale Minow Fellows Zilah Harris and Wynton Alexander discuss the favorite parts of their oral history interview with a former Black Panther.

Billy Lamar Brooks Sr., also known as Billy Ché or Ché, was born in Mississippi in 1948 and moved to Chicago in 1951. Eventually, his family settled on South Kedvale Avenue in North Lawndale. During the late 1960s, he was the deputy minister of education for the Black Panther Party’s Illinois chapter. Billy Ché’s job was “to insure that all party members understood the platform.”


Billy Lamar Brooks Sr., 2017. Photograph by Peter T. Alter

Zilah writes about what she enjoyed the most.

Billy Ché Brooks is a man to remember. To even have the opportunity to interview someone of such importance and who had such an impact on the black community was a humbling experience. At the same time, Ché is an everyday guy with a life filled with hard work and dedication to his people and community. It was great to interview him because I was getting in on an important piece of history.

The most surprising part of the interview was the impressive amount of times this man was confident enough to curse. He was completely himself and obviously comfortable in his skin. Ché told us about his work as a Panther, specifically as a leader in the Illinois chapter’s education department. He spoke about working with young people at his former job at the Better Boys Foundation and how it impacts his focus on specific issues in the community. Ché also told us how the loss of his son made him stronger. In the end, Billy Ché Brooks was an amazing and inspiring interviewee.


A Black Panther poster (1969) highlighting the role of education in the Black Panther Party, which Billy Ché supported when he was a member.


Front and back of a Chicago Seed Extra poster (1969), which explains how Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, at 21 and 22, respectively, and leaders of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, were killed by law enforcement at 2337 West Monroe Street.

Wynton was struck by a specific part of the interview.

What surprised me the most during the interview with Billy Ché was when he asked me how many times I have been to jail.  When he was younger, he went to jail because he was standing up against things he felt were wrong. At first I asked him, “How many times have you been to jail?” Then, he flipped the question on me, and I responded with, “Zero.” “Really,” Mr. Brooks said and then asked, “How old are you?” I responded, “Fifteen.” He continued, “Do you think you will ever go to jail?” After I said, “Never,” his response was “When I was your age, I thought the same thing.”

That really stuck out to me. It’s amazing how people judge young black males. Just because I am black and young does not mean I should be labeled a certain way. People may think the majority of young black males are not doing well because of the things they see in the media, but the media really focuses on the bad things people do, not the good. People need to learn to stop thinking “one bad apple spoils the whole bunch” because that is just not the case.

Listen to Billy Ché discuss his experience as a student at Woodrow Wilson Junior College, now Kennedy–King College.

In this clip, Billy Ché talks about the Black Panthers’ relationship to gangs.

In fashion exhibitions, many things vie for attention. The focus, of course, is on the garments with their rich fabrics, vibrant colors, and sparkly embellishments. But, how do these pieces go from collection storage (hanging on a rack or packed in a box) to beautifully mounted on a mannequin?

A common misconception is that the clothing is altered to fit the mannequins, but the opposite is actually true: each mannequin is modified to fit its garment. While many options are available to achieve this, a widely accepted practice is using high-tech tools: pantyhose and polyester fiberfill or batting (the soft, squishy stuff used between blankets). Museum staff and contractors used this technique in Making Mainbocher: The First American Couturier.

First, we considered the size and silhouette of the piece as well as environmental factors, such as gravity and light. After a conservation assessment to confirm the stability and condition of a garment, we took careful measurements, selected a mannequin, and covered it with nylon pantyhose to create a second skin to which we would sew the fiberfill. It was important to consider the time period of the garment and build the foundation accordingly. These photographs show the build out for a 1947 strapless evening dress. The padding creates a higher bustline and fuller hips, bosom, and backside, achieving the much-loved S-curve.

Next, we used a layer of pantyhose to cover the loose fiberfill and added appropriate underpinnings (petticoats) for additional shape. Once the form matched the garment’s measurements and achieved the desired silhouette, we dressed and accessorized the mannequin.

But what happened when a mannequin didn’t fulfill the needs of its costume?

Our seersucker WWII Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) uniform required shorter arms to fit its sleeve length, so we had to build new arms and attach them to preexisting mannequin hands. To achieve this, we used Fosshape and Ethafoam. Fosshape is a low-melt synthetic polyester fiber similar to felt. In its non-activated state, it can be sewn and manipulated, like fabric, but when heat is applied, the fibers melt and harden. Ethafoam is dense foam that can be carved. These materials are chemically stable to reduce off-gassing (chemical breakdown) and protect the overall wellbeing of the Museum’s collection.

We began by wrapping a preexisting mannequin arm with cellophane and sewing pieces of Fosshape around it like a close-fitting sleeve. Heating the Fosshape created a shell, so when we removed the arm, an exact replica remained. We then trimmed the shell to the appropriate length and fitted it with lightweight but rigid Ethafoam for stability. Using hardware and hot glue, we secured the new arm to its hand and then covered it in pantyhose for easier dressing.

To attach the new arms to the mannequin body, we duplicated the ball-and-socket joint of a human shoulder. By wrapping the original mannequin arms in Fosshape, we created yokes (or shoulder sockets). After confirming that the arms were a good fit, we used heavy-duty Velcro to attach them to the yokes. The last two photographs show the final dressing and test-fit of the uniform.

So, the next time you hear someone muse, “What’s under there?” You can respond, “A lot more than you think!”

Additional Resources

Michael Hall, an independent contract mount maker, worked on Making Mainbocher as well as previous Chicago History Museum exhibitions, including Charles James: Genius Deconstructed and I Do! Chicago Ties the Knot.

“What is strange to us today will be familiar to us tomorrow.”—Mayor Richard J. Daley

On this day in 1967 at 11:00 a.m., about 50,000 Chicagoans gathered in Civic Center Plaza, now Richard J. Daley Plaza, for the dedication of the first public art work commissioned by the city. Its story, as stated in the ceremony pamphlet, is “a dramatic illustration of the atmosphere and the spirit which drew this artist and this city together.”


The unveiling of the Picasso sculpture on August 15, 1967. Photograph by the Chicago Daily News, CHM, ICHi-092975

In 1963, the Public Building Commission of Chicago decided to build a new Civic Center and adjoining plaza in the Loop. To include a fountain in the plaza was a given, but to include a sculpture was trickier. In the Chicago Architects Oral History Project, William Hartmann, a partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, one of the supervising firms, opined, “Public art is difficult. Unless you do it right.” A monumental project such as this one required the appropriate artist, and the architects’ decision was unanimous: Pablo Picasso. Hartmann relayed their choice to Mayor Daley, who remarked, “Well, I don’t know Mr. Picasso, but if he’s the best person in the world, why don’t you go ahead and try?”

Hartmann then set out to contact a man whom he didn’t know and had never visited Chicago to ask him to create something to complement a nonexistent building. Through Allan McNab, the director of the Art Institute of Chicago, he first contacted Sir Roland Penrose, an English biographer of Picasso, who agreed to help. He suggested that Hartmann plan a visit to the south of France and let Picasso know they’d like to drop by. “You see,” Hartmann said, “You don’t just make an appointment with Picasso.”


Picasso and Hartmann with the maquette in the artist’s Mougins studio, August 1966. Image from the 1967 program pamphlet

Picasso agreed to see them, and Hartmann sought to acquaint the artist with the project: he brought photographs of Chicago, the site, and its citizens. Hartmann even included photographs of Picasso’s works owned by Chicagoans and local museums to show their recognition of and appreciation for him.

Picasso said he would think about it.

Over the next few years, Hartmann continued to visit and bring Chicago-related items, such a White Sox blazer and a Cubs hat, and updates on the project. Finally, Picasso produced a draft. Hartmann told him, “We want to commission you . . . and end up with a study I can take back.” But Picasso, who refused to discuss business, said, “You know I may not produce anything. [or] I may produce something that you don’t like . . . It’s best that we keep this low-key all the way through, keep it calm and relatively confidential.” So they did.


The maquette in a warehouse, 1966. CHM, Hedrich-Blessing Collection, HB-29086-F2

In 1965, the final design was presented to the Public Building Commission, who hemmed and hawed until Mayor Daley walked in and declared that he liked it. The sculpture’s Corrosive Tensile steel pieces were cast by the American Bridge Company in Gary, Indiana, where they were assembled, disassembled, and then transported to Chicago for reconstruction.


The 50-feet tall, 162-ton sculpture being assembled in Civic Center Plaza, July 1967. Photograph by Carol Sincak, CHM, ICHi-067543

Hartmann planned a grand dedication ceremony, which included poet Gwendolyn Brooks and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. When Mayor Daley removed the veil, the crowd gasped and spouted forth amusing commentary, much of which was pejorative. But to Hartmann, this reaction was better than that of indifference: “Picasso’s work, frequently, if not always has been the center of controversy. So it all fit into that pattern beautifully.”


Original dedication program with images of statement and photograph signed by Picasso, 1966, and poem (center) by Gwendolyn Brooks. Photograph by CHM staff

Picasso declined the city’s payment of $100,000, stating that it was his gift to Chicago. The sculpture has since become a gathering place for all and an icon of the city. And while no one can say for sure what the sculpture resembles, it kicked off the city’s fifty year investment in and proliferation of public art.

Additional Resources

Zilah Harris has been working on the Museum’s latest collaborative initiative, the North Lawndale History Project, developed by Paul Norrington, president and founder of the K-Town Historic District Association, Inc. She is one of three North Lawndale Minow Fellows working with Peter T. Alter, the Museum’s historian and director of the Studs Terkel Center for Oral History. This is the second post in a series about the project.

Humans are essentially natural-born actors: every day we interact with our families, friends, and colleagues, and we show different sides of ourselves to each group. To conduct oral histories is to discover a certain part of someone’s personal life and their legacy.

For me, talking to people and trying to be comfortable around them can be a struggle. You learn a lot about a person when they have to talk about themselves. Getting people to open up and see them comfortable in their own skin is exciting and inspiring. So, conducting oral histories is actually pretty cool, even if you aren’t a dork like me. Oral histories are like a new day each time you do them; there is a routine but something different always comes about.


Dr. Clara Fitzpatrick, 2017. Photograph by Wynton Alexander

Dr. Clara Fitzpatrick is a woman who left her mark on this project and us. She radiates the energy of someone truly comfortable in their own skin. She grabs you by the hand and pulls you in not only with her smile but her stories about her life. Fitzpatrick is the daughter of Reverend J. M. Stone of Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church, which is best known for its affiliation with Martin Luther King Jr.’s brief residency in North Lawndale and visit to the church.


Stone Temple Baptist Church, 2017. The Ten Commandments in Hebrew at the apex of the roof speak to the church’s origins as the First Romanian Congregation Synagogue. Photograph by Peter T. Alter

During the interview, she spoke of Dr. King’s visit to Chicago, specifically his time in North Lawndale and how it’s taken out of context and misinterpreted. Many people are under the impression that he lived there for several months, but Fitzpatrick says it was really about a week. She states, “Dr. King moved into that … house and stayed about two days and he was on his way out. See, I think we have a misunderstanding of Dr. King’s relationship to Chicago.” That was eye-opening to me. It goes back to interpreting history, which is written from people’s experiences and perspectives. Everyone has their own truth, and sometimes their truth can be believed and eventually considered fact.


Howard Sandifer of the Chicago West Community Music Center

Howard Sandifer is another amazing soul who we had the privilege to interview. Sandifer is a very passionate and warm individual who takes a lot of pride in his people, community, and work. He is the executive director and cofounder of the Chicago West Community Music Center, a nonprofit organization that uses “education and training in the arts” to improve West Side communities. Sandifer spoke of his bright vision for the area: “You guys can do it, and I’m sure you will. This is the future, this is what we do; this is why we do what we do, because of you.” From this oral history, I saw how music truly is a strong force that can bring people together and spark a new sense of life in them. Music encourages people to be free and full of life and  changes the standard for black kids. I truly enjoyed this interview. So, thanks, Mr. Sandifer.

Hear Dr. Fitzpatrick discuss Dr. King’s history with Chicago.

Listen to Mr. Sandifer talk of his dreams for the West Side.

Wynton Alexander has been working on the Museum’s latest collaborative initiative, the North Lawndale History Project, developed by Paul Norrington, president and founder of the K-Town Historic District Association, Inc. Wynton is one of three North Lawndale Minow Fellows working with Peter T. Alter, the Museum’s historian and director of the Studs Terkel Center for Oral History. The project supports the upcoming North Lawndale Sesquicentennial in 2019, which celebrates 150 years since Chicago annexed the West Side community. Consisting entirely of community stakeholders, the sesquicentennial committee is dedicated to fostering neighborhood pride by maximizing participation in celebrating North Lawndale’s 150 years of rich history and diverse cultures, while building for the future.

I have been working at the Chicago History Museum since June 15 and am a rising junior at North Lawndale College Prep High School (NLCP). I live in South Deering on Chicago’s Southeast Side. At NLCP, I play football, basketball, and run track and would like to attend Louisiana State University to major in robotics engineering or be a chef. With Zilah Harris and Ina Cox, I am conducting oral histories for the North Lawndale History Project.

Through these interviews, I have learned a lot about people and a lot more about North Lawndale. We interviewed current and former residents and people with significant connections to the community to find out information that is not otherwise recorded or documented. I love to ask questions and get deep into topics so that when it comes to doing interviews, I am well prepared and never worried.


Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church, Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, 2017. Photograph by Peter T. Alter

We have interviewed six people, one of whom was Dr. Clara Fitzpatrick. She was energetic, funny, and had a lot to talk about. Dr. Fitzpatrick also actually engaged us in conversation during the interview, which surprised me. She loved to talk about the relationship she had with her father, Reverend J. M. Stone, and perked up in her seat whenever his name came up. Reverend Stone was born in Georgia in 1906 and moved to Chicago in the 1930s. He was friends with Martin Luther King Jr.’s father.


From left: Wynton Alexander, Dr. Fitzpatrick, and Zilah Harris, 2017. Photograph by Ina Cox

In 1954, Reverend Stone moved his congregation from the South Side to the former First Romanian Congregation Synagogue on West Douglas Boulevard in North Lawndale. The building would be renamed Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church, and starting in 1959 Reverend Stone would invite Martin Luther King Jr. to speak there on occasion. In August 2016, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks designated Stone Temple a landmark.


Listen to Dr. Fitzpatrick discuss the designation of Stone Temple as an official Chicago Landmark.

Dr. Fitzpatrick is a sweet lady. I feel since she is a teacher at Columbia College Chicago, she has even more knowledge to share and more things to bring to the table. I personally feel hers was among the best of the interviews we have done.

Radio Flyer, a Chicago legend, is marking its 100th anniversary this year. The company is best known for their little red wagon designed by company founder Antonio Pasin, an Italian immigrant. Radio Flyer wagons haven’t changed much over the years (classics don’t have to), but a noteworthy exception is the Streak-O-Lite Zephyr version made during the early 1930s.


Streak-O-Lite Radio Flyer wagon, c. 1935. Image courtesy of Radio Flyer Inc.

Like much of Chicago’s past, this story is closely tied to the railroads. In this case, the connection is to another Chicago legend, the Burlington Zephyr, the world’s first stainless steel diesel-powered train. The Zephyr, owned and operated by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, made its debut at Chicago’s A Century of Progress International Exposition in 1934 and caused a national sensation.


The Burlington Zephyr at the A Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, 1934. CHM, Hedrich-Blessing Collection, HB-02278b

Its sleek, streamlined appearance and high-speed engine were created by a team of engineers and designers working for the Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia, who built the train. The group included Albert Dean, an aeronautical engineer who developed the Zephyr’s overall shape; Paul Phillippe Cret, a Philadelphia architect credited with the narrow horizontal fluting on the train’s sides and top; and the Chicago architectural firm of Holabird & Root who designed parts of the interior, drew up the blueprints, and provided general oversight of the project. Overall, the Burlington Zephyr is an outstanding example of modern industrial design that seamlessly unites function and style.


Blueprint of the Zephyr’s interior, 1933, Holabird & Root. CHM, ICHi-092863

Not surprisingly, the Zephyr inspired the making of a Hollywood movie, The Silver Streak, with a plotline based loosely on the train’s real-life 1,015-mile dash from Denver to Chicago for the fair in a record-breaking thirteen hours and five minutes. The Zephyr also inspired Radio Flyer, operators of a successful pavilion at the fair, to issue a special version of their new “Streak-O-Lite” wagon embellished with an image of the Zephyr. As described in the Sears catalog, Streak-O-Lite wagons were “built to look like the new cars with [a] dashboard and powerful beacon lights.” Full-sized wagons with lights could be purchased for $3.98, while those without lights sold for $2.98. A smaller version, the Baby Streak-O-Lite, was made for “Tots Up to 3 Years” and sold for ninety-five cents.


Ad for a non-Zephyr Streak-O-Lite Radio Flyer wagon from Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog, 1935–36. CHM, photograph by CHM staff

Notice how this wagon’s side decoration differs from the one below and the actual wagon shown above.


Ad for Baby Streak-O-Lite Radio Flyer wagon from Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog, 1935–36. CHM, photograph by CHM staff

Streamlining emerged in Europe and the United States in the early 1930s. Modernist designers, chiefly Norman Bel Geddes of New York, championed its smooth, flowing lines for machine-age living, but the strongest boost came from the Zephyr, whose widespread popularity prompted manufacturers across the country to adopt the style in hopes of stimulating consumer sales and reviving the economy during the Great Depression. Streamlining struck a chord with consumers and proved so popular that, according to historian Jeffrey Meikle, it may have marked the emergence of a true national style. This story and many others about Chicago modern design will be explored in our forthcoming exhibition, Modern by Design: Chicago Streamlines America, slated to open in October 2018.

Olivia Mahoney is the senior curator at the Chicago History Museum.

Two years ago, Christian Dior in Paris submitted a request for an inventory of our Dior holdings. The House was compiling an anthology to honor the seventieth anniversary of the company, celebrating the work of the seven couturiers who have led the House of Dior since its founding in 1947.

This was a big request, as the Chicago History Museum owns more than two hundred garments representing the House of Dior. But, we were in luck! University of Illinois graduate student Corie Azem took on the task as part of her museum studies practicum (read her blog post about one of her exceptional finds). Over the course of three months, she inventoried and photographed our entire Dior collection and created a detailed database that we shared with the Parisian House. After reviewing our holdings, the company requested twenty of our pieces for consideration for their seven-volume anthology.

To create a comprehensive anthology, the House looked to a number of collections around the world, including the Henry Ford Museum in suburban Detroit, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. Then they sent customized dress forms to each location and arranged for the prominent Parisian photographer Laziz Hamani to photograph the works onsite.


Contracted mount maker Emma Denny readies the Dior gowns for photography.

After careful assessment by Museum conservator Holly Lundberg, dressing commenced. Over the course of two weeks, mount maker Emma Denny and costume collection manager Jessica Pushor readied the looks for Monsieur Hamani’s arrival. Museum staff then created a customized photography studio in the Museum’s Carola and Leon Mandel Conference Room to accommodate the two-day shoot.


Studio set-up in CHM’s Mandel conference room.

To make this most of this opportunity, Museum staff then sent some of the garments into our photography studio to capture and document pieces not included in the 2008 exhibition Dior: The New Look. Photography is an essential step in our process so that we can continue to add to and update the Museum’s online collection portal.


Costume collection manager Jessica Pushor adjusts a 1953 Nuit Lumineuse dress by Christian Dior. Gift of Mrs. Thomas H. Fisher (Ruth Page). 1969.934


The 1953 Nuit Lumineuse dress in volume one.

We are pleased to announce that several examples from the Museum’s Christian Dior collection made the final cut. Our Diors will appear in the first three volumes, which are dedicated to Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, and Marc Bohan. Volume one, released in May 2017, includes nine of our pieces.

The forthcoming volume two features one of our garments on the cover: a 1958 trapeze afternoon dress in mohair by YSL for Christian Dior. Volumes four to seven, honoring the work of Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri, will be released in the next two years.

This collaboration is just one of the many ways the Museum promotes our costume collection as a means of connecting people through the study of fashion.

Petra Slinkard is the curator of costume at the Chicago History Museum.

Get to know Raymond Hudd and the contents of his photographs and papers in this blog post by collections intern Analú M. López, a practicum student in archives this spring.

The Chicago-based milliner Raymond Hudd (1924–2011) was well known for his bold, whimsical hat designs and was often referred to as the “Mad Hatter of the Midwest.” In 1948, Hudd left his home state of Michigan to study at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After graduating in 1950, he opened a hat studio and retail store, the Raymond Hudd Hat Studio, located first on Oak Street and later at 2545 North Clark Street in Lincoln Park.


An example of Hudd’s hat designs, 1970. Photographer unknown.

I have to admit, I did not know who Raymond Hudd was until I was processing his photograph collection for my archives practicum work at the Chicago History Museum. I was immediately taken by the photographs of his fanciful hats (some of which are in the Museum’s costume collection), his celebrity clients such as Phyllis Diller and Joan Crawford, and the poetry he wrote in conjunction with each hat design. But more so, I was fascinated by Hudd’s involvement with a mysterious group called the Space Age Club. I knew nothing about this group, and the photographs and printed material included in this collection did even less to explain Hudd’s exact relationship with it. After conducting some research, I found an article that explained Hudd had served as president of the Space Age Club of Chicago, which he founded in 1959.


A copy of the Space Age Club’s manifesto

I also learned the Space Age Club comprised of people who believed they had experienced contact with unidentified flying objects (UFOs). These individuals were called “contactees,” and some of them also claimed to have seen and spoken to alien beings. The collection includes their manifesto, which begins, “We are all SPACEMEN. Oh yea we are! We are living on a terrestrial globe that is swirling thru SPACE at a speed of 18 miles per second.” As I read more, I felt as if I was transported into David Bowie’s “Starman.”


The Space Age Club’s second home at 635 North State Street

The club’s headquarters were first located in Hudd’s studio on Clark Street, but as membership grew, it moved to 635 North State Street. As some images of the Space Age Club events show, the costumes that Hudd likely designed seem to mirror some of his millinery work and certainly carry a similar aesthetic.


In this 1960 fashion show, each of the models’ garments represented a planet.

Other images in this collection depict special guests and fellow contactees George Adamski (1891–1965) and Dana Howard. Adamski was a Polish American who became known in ufology circles after he claimed to have photographed spaceships from other planets, met with friendly Nordic space alien brothers, and flew with them to the moon and other planets. Howard, who appears in numerous images of Space Age Clubs events, was another contactee who claimed she went to Venus, married a Venusian, and raised a family there. She was also an author and artist; the collection includes images of her artwork.


Dana Howard and Raymond Hudd hold up a piece of her artwork.

While Hudd’s personal experience with UFOs and alien beings is not recorded in this collection, his dedication to the Space Age Club is evident in the scrapbook he compiled to document it.

CHM collections volunteer Robert Blythe details the history and contents of the Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Illinois records in our Research Center.

During the Civil War, some 2.7 million men served in Union blue from 1861 to 1865. To preserve their bonds of comradeship and ensure that veterans and their families received sufficient care, many of these men joined the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). The organization was both a fraternal order, similar to the Elks or Odd Fellows, and a potent lobbying force on veterans’ issues. The GAR took on a military structure with hundreds of local posts that were organized into departments embracing one or more states.


The cover of the souvenir program for the 34th National Encampment, 1900. CHM, ICHi-76897

The departments sent representatives to an annual national encampment, which was the governing body of the organization. Records of a number of the Chicago GAR posts are preserved at the Chicago History Museum in the Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Illinois records.


A certificate of transfer from the GAR, Department of Illinois records, box 10, folder 2

Many of the records discuss mundane matters, such as dues payments, transfers from one post to another, and meeting arrangements, but among the most interesting items are correspondence files from one of the largest posts, the George H. Thomas Post. Many letters are from veterans who had fallen on hard times and needed help. Relief work among veterans and their families was a major commitment of the GAR, as they provided food, coal, free medical care, and cash payments in emergencies. Much of this work was carried on by a GAR auxiliary group, the Women’s Relief Corps.


A log recording the activities of Post 770. GAR, Department of Illinois records, box 1

The GAR was likely one of the only integrated national organizations in the last third of the nineteenth century. Close to 200,000 men of color had served in the federal army, and many black veterans were welcomed into predominantly white posts, including some in Kentucky and Maryland. Segregated posts were the rule in the Deep South, however, and some northern posts kept blacks out because a handful of post members could reject an applicant in a secret ballot. The bond between white Chicago veterans and the freed people of the South is revealed in correspondence between the George H. Thomas Post and Claflin College (now Claflin University). The post provided new American flags to this historically black institution, which proudly flew them over the soil of South Carolina.


The GAR Memorial Hall, c. 1903. CHM, DN-0000327

A reminder of the GAR presence is the Memorial Hall in the Chicago Cultural Center (formerly the Chicago Public Library). This imposing hall, dedicated in 1897, was meant to serve as a commemorative museum honoring all Illinois Civil War veterans and a meeting space for GAR members. More information on the hall and the GAR in Chicago can be found in Robert I. Girardi’s article “Remembering the Grand Army of the Republic” in the winter 2015 issue of Chicago History magazine.

Reading the letters of Chicago’s Civil War veterans at the Chicago History Museum truly brings home to present generations their deep loyalty to the nation that they helped to save.

April 4, 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the Chicago flag, one of the city’s most familiar symbols. To mark the occasion, CHM is hosting a special event that evening, featuring two flags from the Museum’s collection. The first is from 1920 and has two red stars, as originally designed by Wallace Rice to represent the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The second has two additional stars that were added in the 1930s to signify Fort Dearborn and the 1933–34 A Century of Progress International Exposition. This flag looks more familiar, but it has a surprising story to tell.


The Chicago flag that circumnavigated the world, c. 1947. CHM, ICHi-066334

In early 1947, Juan Trippe, president of Pan American World Airways, began lobbying Congress to form an exclusive, unified airline known as Community Company for international travel with his company at the core. Opponents claimed this would create a monopoly and defeated the measure. Undaunted, Trippe continued to advocate his cause with influential friends and associates. He arranged an around-the-world press flight for leading newspaper publishers from across the country, including Marshall Field III of the Chicago Sun and J. L. Maloney of the Chicago Tribune. Also on board was a small Chicago flag, brought by Trippe himself to help promote Chicago’s prominent place in the future of aviation.

On June 17, 1947, thousands cheered as Pan American’s four-engine Lockheed plane named America took off from LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, in what became the first scheduled commercial around-the-world flight in history. It encompassed more than 20,000 miles in about ninety hours of flying time over thirteen days—a snail’s pace by today’s standards but astonishing at the time. The flight made seventeen stops, including Shannon, London, Istanbul, Dhahran, Calcutta (today Kolkata), Shanghai, Tokyo, Guam, Honolulu, and San Francisco. At certain stops, such as London and Calcutta, the delegation met with local officials to discuss the future of world air travel.


Official invitation to the arrival ceremonies for the America, 1947. Photograph by Museum staff

At 11:00 a.m. on June 30, 1947, America touched down at Chicago Municipal Airport, renamed Midway Airport in 1949, before returning to New York, its final destination. An official delegation of seventy-five was on hand to greet them, along with a thirty-piece brass band from Fort Sheridan and scores of interested Chicagoans. The ceremony began with comments from Merrill C. Meigs, former publisher of the Chicago Herald and Examiner and longtime champion of commercial aviation. Meigs expressed the thoughts of many when he said: “We who are engaged in the development of aviation in the Chicago area are well aware of the fact that this city is the natural, logical, central air gateway for American air transportation, in both domestic and international service.” When he finished speaking, Trippe presented the well-traveled city flag to Mayor Martin H. Kennelly, who in turn presented it to Paul Angle, director of the Chicago Historical Society.


Juan Trippe (standing at right) presents the Chicago flag that traveled around the world to Mayor Martin H. Kennelly, June 30, 1947. CHM, ICHi-026495

From this small but auspicious beginning, Chicago became a major hub of international travel. In 2016 alone, more than twelve million international passengers passed through Midway and O’Hare Airports and their numbers are expected to increase. The little flag that made the first such journey, however, is forever grounded—but safely in our care.

Additional Resources

Translate »