Chicago History Museum

A couple of weeks ago I was able to (finally) check out the Chicago History Museum. It's been on my list of museums to explore since moving here. I went with my friend Samantha, who I met from Legal Council. The museum had many engaging exhibitions about the history of the city, but some particular displays were extra interesting. I really loved seeing Vivian Maier's Chicago photos. Maier was known for her snapshot sidewalk photos that were discovered in an auction years after her death. Her photos of Chicago capture so much urban personality from the 60's and 70's and make me feel more connected to my midwestern home. I also liked the fashion exhibition about the life and designs of Mainboucher; the exhibit included a digital mannequin that people could alter and design.

The museum also had exhibits that addressed the civil rights movement, the Great Chicago Fire, the Haymarket Massacre, and, of course, Abraham Lincoln. There wasn't as much of Abe as I would've expected, but I figured the museum must've covered him extensively in the past and being so close to Springfield there's a whole city devoted to him.

I'm glad to have gotten to more familiar with Chitown and I can't wait to explore another new museum in the future.

Ida B. Wells! (Kinda scary.)

Fragments from the Great Chicago Fire.

Abe's death bed.

Mail bomb? Not the best idea for an interactive display...

Are you an anti-Federalist?

LUMA

Recently, I switched employers and now I work at Loyola University Chicago. One benefit of working at Loyola is that my office is right above its art museum, also known as LUMA (Loyola University Museum of Art). It's been great to step away for a moment and pop into the museum to see the current and permanent exhibitions.

Currently, the museum has an exhibition on the intricate tradition of Indonesian puppetry, as well as a display of whirligigs by a contemporary artist. The permanent collection of the museum, the Martin D'Arcy, S.J. Collection, features many outstanding medieval and Renaissance objects of Western religious art. 

I'm looking forward to seeing future exhibitions at the museum and learning more about its permanent collection.

Click on the photo above to see how this clock/automaton works!