The world looks different from Chicago. For many of us raised in the city or currently living here, we have a decidedly Chicago-centric sense of the past, present, and future. Indeed, Chicago easily takes up all of the space on our horizon, the bandwidth on our computers, and the curiosity and imagination our minds can More
Marnie Fogg. The Dress: 100 Ideas that Changed Fashion Forever. London: Goodman (2015). 100 dresses, 100 ideas. The author identifies each innovative idea and follows the reverberations. The dresses date from the nineteenth century to the present. The photographs come from a variety More
Costume collection manager Jessica Pushor puts one of our Bes-Ben hats in the spotlight. With the autumn chill in the air, stores are enticing shoppers with warm clothes for the fall. Hats were once a major part of a woman’s wardrobe, and here at the Chicago History Museum, we have found the perfect one for More
Jonathan Eig. The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution. New York: W. W. Norton and Company (2014). You will know in advance that Margaret Sanger was the key player and that there must have been a scientist—but More
Costume collection manager Jessica Pushor provides tips on how to create the perfect look for 1933. As the Chicago History Museum gears up for another amazing The Last Speakeasy on the Eve of Repeal event, please remember that toy guns of any kind are not permitted in the Museum nor are feathers. No feather fans, More