Lecture On World’s Columbian Exposition at Glessner House Museum

Glessner House Museum, located at 1800 S. Prairie Avenue in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood, will host a lecture entitled “The World’s Columbian Exposition – a 120 Year Perspective” on Wednesday November 6, 2013 at 7:00pm.

The Columbian Exposition of 1893 remains one of the most legendary events in the history of Chicago. In this presentation by Diane Dillon, director of scholarly and undergraduate programs at the Newberry library, attendees will explore the highlights of the fair that drew 27 million visitors and learn how the fair helped shape the city as it entered the 20th century.

Glessner House Museum is a National Historic Landmark and the last surviving work by Henry Hobson Richardson in Chicago. Completed in 1887, the museum is recognized nationwide for its groundbreaking architecture as well as its important collection of arts and crafts decorative arts.

The Youth’s Companion was one of the 19th century’s most popular periodicals.
This edition was devoted entirely to the World’s Fair.

Admission is $10 per person. Reservations may be made by calling 312-326-1480. The museum is easily accessible by taking the #3 or #4 bus on Michigan Avenue to 18th Street, and then walking 2 blocks east.

Book Series Set on Historic Prairie Avenue to Debut in 2012

A new book series set on historic Prairie Ave. during the late-nineteenth century is scheduled for release next year. Book one, The Pursuit of Lucy Banning will be published in June 2012.

Avenue of Dreams
Boasting the three richest men—Marshall Field, Philip Armour, and George Pullman—in the city among its residents, Prairie Ave. was Chicago’s original “Gold Coast.”Author Olivia Newport created a “fictional wealthy family [the Bannings] and put them smack in the middle of this historic neighborhood.” Newport lives in Colorado Springs, but lived in Illinois for a time. The series name is “Avenue of Dreams,” which perfectly describes Prairie Ave. during its heyday. The series starts in 1892 and concludes in 1896.

The Biggest and Most Spectacular

The Harriet F. Rees home is seeking landmark status.

Probably the most exciting time to live on Prairie Ave. was during the World’s Columbian Exhibition of 1893. The World’s Fair was one of the great turning points in Chicago history. With the eyes of the world focused on the Windy City, Chicago had a lot riding on the fair’s success. Many prominent Prairie Ave. residents campaigned to bring the exhibition to the city; they also worked hard to ensure it was the biggest and most spectacular World’s Fair in history.

Survivors Remain
Most of the beautiful homes that lined the avenue are long gone. A few remain, including the Glessner House Museum at 18th and S. Prairie. Another survivor, the Harriet F. Rees home is seeking preliminary landmark status. The home at 2110 S. Prairie sits just outside of the protected Prairie Ave. historic district.

To keep track of Lucy Banning and the rest of the series set on Prairie Ave., be sure to read Olivia Newport’s blog and feel free to leave a comment or ask a question; she’d love to hear from you.

Free Admission to Art Institute on Weekdays Through February 4, 2011

The Art Institute of Chicago at 111 South Michigan Ave. has instituted free weekday admission during normal museum hours through February 4, 2011. If you work in the Loop, you can actually visit the museum during your lunch hour or on your way home.

You can view Georges Seurat's famous painting for free during weekdays

A Chicago mainstay and real treasure, The Art Institute is one of the best museums of its kind anywhere in the world. Always a world-class museum, the opening of the Modern Wing last spring only burnished its reputation. As cool as the Modern Wing is, I always find myself wandering over to the Impressionist exhibit. It's one of the best in the world and includes major works by Degas, Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Cassatt, and many others. One of the most famous, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges-Pierre Seura was once owned by a resident of Prairie Ave. during the late nineteenth century!

Jitish Kallat’s Public Notice 3 is exhibited on the main staircase.

A new exhibit of note is right in plain sight on the steps of the Grand Staircase. Jitish Kallat’s Public Notice 3 is a reproduction of a speech given by Swami Vivekananda on religious tolerance at one of the many world congresses held during the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition. The original Art Institute building housed these special congresses. The words from the speech are spread out on the staircase steps in the colors from the United States’ Department of Homeland Security alert system. This is the first instillation of a work by Kallat, an artist from India, in the United States.

A listing of the World's Fair "congresses" from an 1893 publication

If you enjoy the visual arts, there are some great exhibits in the Modern Wing. Check the short video below for a taste of what's in store. For a complete list of all the exhibits, be sure to check the museum Web site.

Free Admission to the Museum of Science and Industry weekdays in January

To help get through the chilly (if not downright freezing) Chicago winter, weekday general admission to the Museum of Science and Industry is free the entire month of January.

The museum's history goes back to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The building was built as The Palace of Fine Arts for the World's Fair. It, along with the Art Institute on Michigan Ave., are the only surviving structures from the famed "White City."

During the 1893 World's Fair, the main entrance was on the canal side, with patrons arriving by boat. As anyone who has seen what is now the "backside" of the museum can attest, it's really the most beautiful part of the building.

The Museum of Science and Industry is the largest science museum in the western hemisphere.