Chicago History Museum's Lincoln Treasures

I checked out the Chicago History Museum, one of our partner institutions, this week. There has been some talk in the press about their hand-written copy of the Gettysburg Address that is on display until May 3rd. This is part of the Lincoln Treasures exhibition in celebration of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth. The copy of the Gettysburg Address initially drew me to the museum (it is one of 5 that exists) but the museum was really worth it. Besides the Lincoln exhibit, though small but very impressive (reading the Gettysburg Address in Lincoln's handwriting is worth the trip on its own), the rest of the museum was surprisingly informative and fun. The big permanent exhibit is called Chicago: Crossroads of America and was a look at Chicago's history from the beginning to modern times. Unfortunately the museum closed before I got to see everything in this exhibit (it closes at 4:30 pm most days except Thursday). The good news is the museum offers free admission on Mondays (it is normally $14 for adults) so I can go back. The ground floor of the museum had an interesting section on immigration, and it showed photographs of all types of immigrants who came to Chicago from across the years. I think it was a really great piece since it illustrated how immigration hasn't changed across the years, just people's perception of immigrants has. It didn't matter if you came in 1870 or 1970, and I liked that message. The Chicago History Museum is one of our partner institutions, and after seeing what they had to offer it is clear that this is a valuable partnership. They have a lot more space and resources than our core members have access to, but they have managed to tie Chicago's history to contemporary issues and that is very important. Public housing and immigration are two issues that we are still struggling with, but it also showcased Chicago sports history, which is something every Chicagoan has strong feelings towards! Addressing these kinds of issues in such an interesting way is something that the CHM can maybe help us with. Overall, this institution is extremely interesting and I recommend a visit.

Please visit http://www.chicagohistory.org for more information.