My City, Chicago, Throughout Time

The cable car that stood in the center of the room was nothing like the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) I had taken earlier in the day. It looked cozy and welcoming with table-facing cushioned seats that mimic more of the Metra-styled trains than today’s CTA. 

One of the Chicago History Museum’s artifacts in the Chicago: Crossroads of America exhibit showed off a Chicago of Yesterday.  

Walking ‘Past’

I easily fell into the interactive stories of my city as I learned about the history of Chicago. I passed the Marshall Field’s Window, which made me nostalgic. Although the Marshall Fields & Company Building is still standing strong on State Street in the Loop, it has since turned into a Macy’s.

The exhibit’s window into the Marshall Field’s brand and past fashions really spoke to me. I loved the old-fashioned hats they had tucked away in glass. There was this hat with cat broaches on it. It was the cat’s meow and simply ‘pur’fect! 

The museum had a feel of being on a Hollywood set as you walked past a collection of era pieces and set-ups of certain buildings.

One of these setups was a Jazz club venue. It even had the red rope as you walked into the area room. In the room were tables and chairs with a stage that held music relics. It was a cool way to display music and performance items. It added to the story behind these objects as they were showcased where they would have been found in their heyday. 

A ‘Fire’ exhibit

The Exhibits sign was a piece of art. The title, “City on Fire Chicago 1871” was displayed on a blue wall, which functioned as a sky for cardboard cutouts. The cutout buildings had windows that had glowing lights on. 

Before entering, there was the usual sign stating that photography was allowed just no flash. What caught me off guard and gave me pure joy was the sign that talked about trigger warnings. 

I honestly was just talking to my boyfriend about how museums should have some sort of rating system or trigger warnings. With most exhibits, you don’t know what is in store which can be part of the fun but can sometimes be scary too! 

The Story of the Great Fire

Going past the signs and into the exhibit, I am greeted with a hands-on display. There is a laundry station with an old-fashioned washboard. This gave visitors the chance to give a hand at how chores were done before washing machines. The display also allows people the opportunity to understand the time of this great event that changed our city. 

Throughout the space there are character cutouts each sharing their story. The stories are written in both English and Spanish. The stories also are linear. The further into the room(s) you go the story of the night’s fire unfolds.

The exhibit also did a great job of engaging visitors with questions. One of the large questions from this area was “What item or items would you bring with you if you could grab them in a fire?” Of course, the sections note that you are supposed to leave everything behind if there is a fire.

The question was then answered by several artifacts saved from the fire, like dolls and toys grabbed by children. 

There was also an outfit on display, the one someone wore the night of the fire. One of the few things they walked away with was that outfit, the clothing on their back at the time. 

The walls are beautiful and cohesive with murals that add color and meaning to the exhibit. The end of the exhibit wrapped up with other fire stories throughout Chicago’s city and how some of the fire safety regulations came to be.

I later checked my map and realized the exhibit was designed with children 13 and younger in mind. 

Printed History From the Local Press

 The last exhibit I went into was “Millions of Moments: The Chicago Sun-Times Photo Collection.” It wound me through part of the cafe and led me to the store. The collection itself was fantastic. It had so many astounding photos that captured the news of the time. The photos were large, in black and white and crystal clear. Some of the photos had important figures, like Marilyn Monroe, and other photos captured the everyday people of the city. There was this classic photo of a couple stepping over a puddle. It was only the fashion that dated it. 

As a past photographer and student journalist I found these photos to be inspiring. As a child, I remember my parents getting the local newspaper and on Sundays. I found myself wrestling with the comic page that felt larger than me! I also help shake out the papers of deals that sometimes would be slipped into the fold on the weekend. I remember there being three big newspapers in my area, one of them being the Sun Times. 

By the time I was at Columbia College Chicago, the Tribune Tower was in the process of being sold. It’s these collections and exhibits that I think share the need for extraordinary storytellers, photojournalists, and journalists to continue to ask questions and produce news that informs our city. 

At the end of the exhibit, I found my way into the store, and then soon after I left the inside of the museum. 

Lincoln Park Home to the Museum

As I waited for the Clark bus, CTA #22, I wandered around the museum’s campus. They had a cute outdoor section with sculptures that talked about community. The area also seemed to connect to a larger system of pathways, and I soon found myself headed toward the Lincoln Park Zoo. As the day was coming to a close, I had to steer clear of the zoo, promising myself that I would be back soon.