Insights from the Chicago History Museum from Lesley Jenkins
Posted on: 4 June 2014
The Chicago History Museum covers the eclectic story of Chicago in many ways from its fur trade beginnings to its diverse immigrant stories. One thing I am learning here is the many ways these stories can be told. Here history is not just about what happened 50 or 100 years ago but it’s also about what happened yesterday. The Museum embraces the hard to tell story and the celebratory one.
Some of the pioneering story is told through dioramas. I love the exquisite detail in the figures and the expansive vistas inside. Like big doll houses they have a charm that people are really attracted to, if the long lines in front of them are anything to go by.
Another great installation is photography based and it’s about railroaders during World War 11. It focuses on photographs taken by Jack Delano but they are set in the context in which they were taken. Here you can sit in a carriage and watch the scenery go by (filmed landscape outside the window), go up to the ticket counter, or play at a model rail yard. Apart from the content, the great photos and the clearly identifiable theme, I think that one of the things that appeals to me about it is its simplicity. It also strikes me that it is the sort of exhibition design that has the capacity to be executed in some of our smaller, volunteer run community museums.
Oh yes and photographs are encouraged, along with sharing them by posting to social media sites.
M&GSQ 2013 Mentorship, Exchange and Fellowship Program is funded by Arts Queensland through the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF). RADF is a joint Queensland Government and Local Government partnership to support local arts and culture.
Museums & Galleries Qld 
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