Read messages from Chicago History Museum president Gary T. Johnson, published monthly in E-news.

October 2009

The highlight of our Lincoln Bicentennial year has arrived! Abraham Lincoln Transformed and Benito Juárez and the Making of Modern Mexico are receiving international attention because they look at these two national heroes side-by-side. I am very proud that the Chicago History Museum is taking this approach. We look forward to your visit!

September 2009

Now is the time to get involved at the Chicago History Museum! This is an exciting time as we are celebrating the Lincoln Bicentennial, opening two exhibitions in October, and drawing diverse audiences interested in history with our programming. Volunteers are essential to our Museum. Volunteer with us today for a rewarding experience.

August 2009

Last month’s Oxford University conference, co-sponsored by the Chicago History Museum, on “The Global Lincoln,” was a big success. Our Executive Vice President and Chief Historian, Russell Lewis, chaired one of the sessions. Participants came from all over the world. Lincoln’s international reputation is alive and well.

July 2009

If you have never been to one of our July 4 celebrations, this is the year to attend. Festivities will include the official centennial of the announcement of the Plan of Chicago. Family members of authors Daniel H. Burnham and Edward H. Bennett will join us on the plaza behind the Museum at 10:00 a.m. for this popular event. Celebrate liberty, celebrate Chicago!

June 2009

The Chicago History Museum’s collection has achieved a real milestone: with the opening of a newly-purchased collection center in a nearby western suburb, we have ended our decades-long practice of leasing offsite storage space. The museum located at North and Clark Street, of course, cannot contain our collection of 22 million holdings. Now we have our own climate-controlled storage facility, and our collection staff could not be happier.

May 2009

It’s that time of year again when we have the opportunity to honor distinguished and influential Chicagoans for the significant impact they have made on our city. The Making History Awards is an exciting time for me, as we are able to look back at the accomplishments of our awardees and how their actions and commitments are shaping Chicago’s future. Congratulations to all the awardees this year and a special thank you to the Palmer House for hosting this year’s event.

April 2009

Hear Doris Kearns Goodwin, the famous presidential historian, at a reception and dinner on May 2. The Chicago Bar Association is our partner for this key event celebrating the Lincoln Bicentennial year.

March 2009

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address will be here in April! Become a member now for free access to the Museum and to view this rare document in Lincoln’s own hand. You also will have discounts in the store and our great new North & Clark Café.

February 2009

Chicago is Lincoln Bicentennial central! Led by the Chicago History Museum, expect Lincoln events over the next year, from exhibitions to programs to websites. Lincoln visited Chicago 24 times, and has been popular here ever since. When Barack Obama took the oath on the Lincoln Bible, he followed a long tradition of Chicagoans paying tribute to Lincoln. Make this a year for learning and reflection.

A one-day symposium featuring our very own chief historian, Russell Lewis and myself—Abraham Lincoln: His Legal Career and His Vision for America—will be held on February 6 at the Chicago Cultural Center. Presented by the 7th Circuit Bar Association of Chicago, the symposium will feature leading Lincoln experts and Constitutional scholars that will explore Lincoln’s legal career.

January 2009

Despite the nation's financial crisis, your Museum is pushing ahead on its critical path. Attendance is up, and thanks to a pledge from our Guild, an exciting new cafe is under construction. In 2009, we will celebrate Abraham Lincoln's bicentennial. We encourage you all to join in our year of activities and visit our spectacular Lincoln exhibitions. We thank you for the tremendous support you give us for the cause of history in Chicago.

December 2008

Chicago as a high-speed rail city? Glimpse the city of the future in Burnham 2.0, now open in the KPMG and Paul and Katherine Snyder Community Gallery. The year 2009 marks the centennial of Daniel Burnham's landmark 1909 Plan of Chicago, and the new exhibition features imaginative entries in a design competition inspired by Burnham.

November 2008

We are excited to host an evening with Richard Norton Smith on Thursday, November 13. One of the top presidential historians, Smith will present his talk "Our Lincoln" to members of the Chicago History Museum and Chicago Bar Association and their guests only! Call 312.799.2004 to make your reservation for this free event today. I look forward to seeing you there.

October 2008

Those who once saw Chicago only as the hog-butcher to the world were wrong and Chic Chicago: Couture Treasures from the Chicago History Museum can prove it. It turns out that, over the years, a series of women with stunning, world-class taste, played against the stereotype and set this city on a different path. Have you ever wondered how gritty, industrial Chicago became an attractive, vibrant global city? You can connect the dots through these women. Chic Chicago is a must-see.

September 2008

The first day of school reminds us how important our schools are to the Chicago History Museum. Field trip groups visit us in record numbers. Every year, we offer new programs and web resources for teachers and students. After three years now as President, I have taught about the Chicago Fire in 225 classrooms, and my visits continue. May history education thrive in all of the Chicago area's schools!

August 2008

Have you been hearing the word "stay-cation?" The idea is that the gas prices make in-town vacations more popular. Fortunately, the Chicago History Museum not only has its own parking lot, but is easily reached by the CTA. Buses 11, 22, 36, 72, 73, 151, and 156 stop nearby. The Brown Line Sedgwick station and Red Line Clark/Division station are both about a half-mile from the Museum. Every day, more visitors are learning that the CTA is a great option.

July 2008

A very rare treat awaits you. Come to the Museum and get a behind-the-scenes look at our staff putting together a major exhibition. Chic Chicago: Couture Treasures from the Chicago History Museum is being assembled behind glass doors next to our Visitor's Center. The show opens September 27, but the view this summer is fascinating. Check out our new collection of "Schlappis," the cool, white Italian mannequins we have bought to display our haute couture. Watch our curators working on the garments and the displays. Chic Chicago opens this fall, but now is the time to look over our shoulders!

June 2008

Jazz legend, Franz Jackson, died last month. Jackson knew two key creators of jazz, Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton, and collaborated with icons such as Cab Calloway and Ella Fitzgerald. He was still playing, and performed for two hours at his 95th birthday last November. Jackson was honored with our Making History Award, which was presented by Ramsey Lewis. Names like Jackson and Lewis remind us of Chicago's historic and continuing role as a jazz capital. Learn more at our Museum's Chase Jazz and Blues Club in the Chicago: Crossroads of America gallery.

May 2008

When you visit our Museum on weekday mornings, you will see that May is a very busy month for school group visits. Each visit is a major production, from the planning, chaperoning, and bus logistics at the school to the booking, shepherding, and educating at our end. School group visits call on the talents of several Museum departments, and the visits could not happen without the generous help of our tireless volunteers. We want every visit to ignite a lifelong curiosity about history; with all the wonderful help we get, we know we can do it!

April 2008

We now have our first Polish language audio tour! Polish, Spanish and English—these are the options for our newest exhibition Catholic Chicago. Our commitment to reach audiences through foreign languages has a Chicago connection, but also an international one. Look for even more outreach to international visitors as the Olympic decision date approaches.

March 2008

We live in a world rife with religious conflict. As our own trustee, Eboo Patel, points out, understanding is the key to religious pluralism and toleration. Our museum's contribution is an exhibition series on religious groups. The rich story of Catholic Chicago is the first, and others will follow. My personal belief is that, as in the days of Jane Addams, Chicago can be a beacon to the world.

February 2008

One of Chicago's treasures turns 100 on February 2—former alderman, Leon Despres. The Chicago History Museum collection is privileged to have his papers. An eloquent and dissenting voice when Richard J. Daley was mayor, he also was a lion of the legal profession. It is astonishing to think that he knew Clarence Darrow, whose March 13, 1938 death, Despres marks every year with an anniversary event in Jackson Park.

January 2008

You may have seen in the news that we have purchased a treasure trove of materials about the 1919 Chicago "Black Sox" scandal. As a major research museum, one that also has a full schedule of exhibitions and programs, collecting is our life blood. We always are on the look-out for ways to strengthen our collection and put materials to use for the public. The archive will be accessible to the public through the Museum's Research Center after the materials have been processed and cataloged. The Museum is also planning to rotate some of the archive into the sports section of the exhibition Chicago: Crossroads of America.