Browse Exhibits (27 total)
Rise and Fall: Progress Interrupted
This exhibit traces the rise and fall of several landmark structures in the city of Chicago.
Shopping in Chicago
Downtown Chicago has been well known as a shopping destination for decades; State Street and Michigan Avenue have housed some of the first and most famous department stores in the country. Chicago's stores, designers, and shoppers changed fashion and the way we shop, from demanding snacks while browsing, to supporting black-owned businesses.
Sights and Sounds: Chicago, 1940-1960
Chicago in the middle decades of the 20th century was a center of music and culture. In the 1920s and 1930s, Chicago had made a name for itself as a center of jazz recording and performance, and in the subsequent decades, the city was a hub of innovation and development in music. Artists, known and unknown, contributed to the evolution of music, while Chicago's nightlife scene encouraged and enabled performers to share their talents.
For more information about jazz in Chicago from the Encyclopedia of Chicago History, click here.
Social Reform in Chicago
A brief history of social reform in Chicago, from Jane Addams and the professionalization of American social work, to the boundaries of Progressive Era reforms in different ethnic communities.
Songs from Chicago
Chicago has long been a musical hub in the United States. From early music to Chicago blues to modern folk songs, here's some tunes that exemplify Chicago.
The Incredible 1893 World's Fair
In 1893, Chicago drew the eyes of the world with the World's Columbian Exposition, a massive fair featuring entertainment, cultural achievements, scientific advancements, and beautiful specially-built architecture that still shapes the city's buildings today. Relatively little of the fair remains standing, but it shaped its host city indelibly; Chicago still honors it with one of its flag's four stars.
Vignette of Chicago Politics
Brief overview of three defining policitcal eras in the twentieth century that shaped the United States and how they affected Chicago.