Page 3 – Chicago History Museum

In anticipation of our upcoming exhibition Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective, CHM costume collection manager Jessica Pushor shares about Sally Rand and a pair of her fans that will be on display.

Born Helen Gould Beck in Missouri, Sally Rand (1904–79) got her start as a chorus girl before working as an acrobat and traveling theater performer. Her career spanned more than forty years, appearing on stage, screen, and television.

Studio portrait of Sally Rand posing with her feather fans, San Francisco, c. 1933. CHM, ICHi-183610, Romaine Photography, photographer

Sally Rand arrived in Chicago in 1933 and began her infamous fan dance at the Streets of Paris Cafe de la Paix stage at the A Century of Progress International Exposition, accompanied by her backing orchestra, directed by Art Frasik. This dance was performed to Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” with a run time anywhere between five and eight minutes. Rand would play peek-a-boo with her body by manipulating her fans in front and behind her. In a Chicago Tribune article from July 25, 1933, she describes how she fools the audience: “After hours of practice before a mirror I learned how to manipulate the fans so that the spectators would think they were seeing something when they really were not. The routine was evolved after I was asked to dance as nearly nude as possible at one of Chicago’s better known clubs.”(1)

A crowd listens to a barker on a small stage in the Streets of Paris at the A Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, September 1934. CHM, ICHi-167341; O. L. Cook, photographer

Within two months of the world’s fair opening, the fan dance came under the scrutiny of local authorities and was soon characterized as lewd and lascivious. Rand was arrested four times in a single day—on August 4, 1933—after every performance of her fan dance at the Chicago Theatre on charges of putting on an indecent exhibition.(2) Rand made a concession after her arrests and coated herself with body paint, which satisfied the authorities and allowed her to continue performing the fan dance.(3)

Left: News coverage of Sally Rand the day before she was arrested four times in one day, Chicago Daily News, August 3, 1933, p. 31. Right: One way Rand appeased authorities was by wearing a dress, Chicago Daily News, August 7, 1933, p. 4.

On September 23, 1933, Sally Rand was convicted of willfully performing an obscene and indecent dance in a public place. She was sentenced to one year in county jail and fined $200. Even after the conviction, Rand was still allowed to perform, and it is estimated that at least 2 million people saw her dance at the world’s fair, making the Streets of Paris one of the most profitable concessions at the fair. The following year, in November 1934, her conviction was overturned.

In 1943, the Chicago History Museum, then the Chicago Historical Society (CHS), arranged for the donation of Rand’s feather fans, with a press release announcing the new acquisition. But before Rand’s scheduled appearance at CHS, there was an emergency Board of Trustees meeting, and CHS president Joseph M. Cudahy released this statement to the press: “The board feels that the fans used by Miss Sally Rand at a Century of Progress are not relative to the World’s Columbian Exposition material now on exhibition and does not believe they have sufficient historical interest to warrant their acceptance by the Museum.”(4)

In 1966, CHS contacted Sally Rand, who by then was the featured performer at Mangam’s Chateau, a hip restaurant and nightclub in Lyons, Illinois, that featured big names in comedy, singers, and other variety acts. CHS asked Rand if she would donate her feather fans, and she happily obliged. Then-CHS president Clement Silvestro said they were accepting the fans into the collection because “The fans made history, they represent a phase of American life.”(5)

Fans, c. 1966. Ostrich feathers, plastic, wood. Maybelle Shearer, Chicago. Gift of Miss Sally Rand. 1966.398a-b. CHM, ICHi-186021

The fans that Sally Rand donated to CHS in 1966 are not the original ones she used in 1933–34. They are very similar to those fans but were purchased by Rand in 1966 and were used during her appearance at the Mangam’s Chateau, where she performed the same fan dance that launched her to fame some 30 years prior.

Sally Rand stands atop the Great Chicago Fire relic at the Chicago Historical Society, August 30, 1966. ST-90004010-0033, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM

When Rand came to the Museum to donate the fans, she climbed atop the molten metal relic salvaged from the Great Chicago Fire (which to this day still sits outside the Museum) and swirled her feather fans around her, much to the delight of the newspaper reporters and photographers in attendance. When asked if she was actually nude behind those fans back in 1933, she replied, “The Rand is quicker than the eye.”

You can see Sally Rand’s fans on display in our exhibition Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective, open October 19, 2024, through July 27, 2025.

Additional Resources

Footnotes

“A FAN DANCER TELLS HOW SHE FOOLS THE BOYS: IT REQUIRES PRACTICE, SALLY SAYS.” Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963), Jul 25, 1933, 5. https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/fan-dancer-tells-how-she-fools-boys/docview/181449001/se-2
“Sally Dances in Loop; Arrest Her 4 Times.” Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963),  August 5, 1933. https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/sally-dances-loop-arrest-her-4-times/docview/181401483/se-2
Virginia Gardner, “Sally Listens to Judges, then Wraps Herself in Coat of Paint.” Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963), August 6, 1933, 3. https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/sally-listens-judges-then-wraps-herself-coat/docview/181440393/se-2
Daily Times, May 10, 1943, 73. NewsBank: Selected America’s Historical Newspapers , https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=EANX-NB&req_dat=0D99702A94485B8A&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Aimage%252Fv2%253A176820A8B9EC1C11%2540EANX-NB-
Sheila Wolfe. “Sally Rand’s Fans make it into Museum.” Chicago Tribune (1963-1996), August 31, 1966. https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/sally-rands-fans-make-into-museum/docview/179030860/se-2
Chicago Sun-Times, September 4, 1966, 27. NewsBank: Selected America’s Historical Newspapers. https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=EANX-NB&docref=image/v2%3A1443FD2E0D78767F%40EANX-NB-170C06B6964EAFB1%402439373-1707542CD2EC2676%4026-1707542CD2EC2676%40

Making space for teens in museums can sometimes be met with apprehension. Is our program engaging enough? Will they be interested? Can we handle their potential criticisms? These are all honest questions that spring to the minds of even the savviest museum worker. Considering the Chicago History Museum’s mission, including teens became a priority.

To create our teen engagement framework, the education team turned to the experts—colleagues at teen-serving museums and teens themselves to explore best practices to prime our teen engagements for success. A set of criteria emerged:

Meet the teens where they are (culturally, emotionally, academically, and socially)
Recruit teens with similar interests (history, art, civic engagement, sports)
Provide a balance of content engagement (in our case history) and creative expression
Position teens as key contributors with decision making power
Make connections between exhibition content and the teens’ lived experiences
Allow teens to share in setting the norms for engagement and collaboration

There are also mutual benefits of teen engagement in museums. Through the programs at CHM, teens recognize the impact of history and their role in creating the future. While museums provide opportunities that help teens learn and grow, they have an opportunity to serve as entry points to arts and culture, sparking lifelong interest in museums. At CHM, teens’ inputs and feedback have helped shape subsequent teen opportunities. Past CHM teen projects have centered Chicago’s legacy of activism for universal suffrage, the power of community documentation, and identity-confirming fashion in the city.

The Artivism teens creating posters in an arts-making session during their summer 2024 experience. All photographs by CHM staff.

In the summer of 2024, a group of teens with interests in social justice and art participated in an intensive experience in support of CHM’s exhibition Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s–70s. The exhibition historicizes Chicago’s legacy of activist art and the unique capacity of art to catalyze change. A cohort of six Chicago-area teens created vibrant messages for issues today using art techniques of the period.

The Chicago Artivism (art + activism) Teens project met multiple needs, including paid summer employment and access to arts education, as many public schools in our area have limited arts instruction. The importance of this opportunity to local teens was confirmed by grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. At CHM, we value teen expression and believe in the power of activist art to catalyze change. This project offered an impactful civic platform for the teens, providing a megaphone for issues they cared about.

The selection processes helped us identify teens we felt had a willingness to learn, would bring a collaborative spirit and unique perspectives, and who represented metro Chicago’s demographics. This resulted in a group of six artivists, ready to learn and create with one another and with project staff.

A working session with the Artivism teens in their studio space at the Museum.

The program design included eleven working sessions and a final twelfth day dedicated to a showcase of teens’ art. Initial days included orientation and community building activities that cemented cohort dynamics. Teens connected with Museum education and curatorial staff in the Designing for Change exhibition with learning activities such as:

Discussions on visual thinking strategy
Mini exhibition tours
Creative writing responses
Oral history practice interviews
Hands-on object analyses
Short talks
Peer-to-peer teaching

Afternoon artmaking was facilitated by Jomo Cheatham, a local, longtime, youth-focused teaching artist. Under his tutelage the teens worked as individuals, as pairs, and as a whole group in a variety of mediums present in the exhibition, including line drawing, painting, silk screening and block printing.

Examples of wheatpasting from the teens’ session, including prints from Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative.

Assisting our teaching artist was a near peer mentor, Audrey O’Hearn, a summer education intern who came to us through Studio Institute. She worked alongside the teens on their projects most afternoons and led one special session on the history and practice wheatpasting in protest art. This session combined the Chicago Artivism teens and Aquí en Chicago teen interns to create activist art jointly. She also collaborated with the teens to design an invitation to the showcase.

The teens tour the Designing for Change exhibition with lead exhibition preparator Ethan Gasbarro during a Career Walk and Talk session.

Teens were also introduced to a variety of museum work through a Career Walk and Talk, meeting employees who specialize in visitor services, curation, exhibition production, graphic design, security, and conservation at CHM. Reflecting on their experience during their project evaluation, one teen wrote, “. . . I was already interested in working in museums, but this gave me more knowledge on the many ways that can be done, including creative ways I had not considered.”

A display of protest posters in the Artivism teens’ showcase.

The internship culminated in a showcase of the teens’ work, which included protest signs, zines, block prints, protest banners, silk screened t-shirts and tote bags, all featuring causes and issues the teens were passionate about. A highlight was five large mural panels, one dedicated to each of the main sections of the Designing for Change exhibition. These murals reflected the teens’ understanding of the social movements and artistic expression of the 1960s and ’70s, while the other pieces connected that history and inspiration to contemporary life.

Chicago Artivism teens mural display in CHM’s Chicago: Crossroads of America exhibition.

On their evaluation one teen noted, “I am most proud of the murals we made. Since we made them during the last weeks of the internship, they represent all that we learned about the different movements. Also, my art and painting skills significantly improved, and some of my best work was on the murals. Lastly, I love that we all collaborated on the murals, so they represent our art as a collective.”

Teens wrote labels for the showcase including biographies and artist statements. They also collaborated on a manifesto describing their collective practice and intentions for their art.

The collection of protest signs and banners on display outside of the Designing for Change exhibition.

The culmination of the internship coincided with the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Currently, their murals and a selection of their protest signs and banners are on display in the Museum for visitors to enjoy and learn from. Their work is displayed alongside the Designing for Change exhibition, providing youth perspective on art, history, and contemporary societal concerns. As the teens wrote in their manifesto: “To us, artivism is collective advocacy and activism through artistic expression. We will . . . Inspire others through art that sparks emotion, initiating conversation.”

Working with young people is inspiring and invigorating for CHM staff members. Their honest response to the exhibition, their belief in art as a form of civic action, and their interest in museums brought fresh perspectives and new engagement to CHM. We hope you will visit to see their powerful art. Stay tuned for our next teen opportunity!

See past teen projects at CHM

CHICAGO (October 1, 2024) – The Chicago History Museum is proud to announce it is the recipient of the National Park Service’s (NPS) Save America’s Treasures grant. The funds of $454,607 will be used for the conservation treatment of nine costumes in the Museum’s collection, including garments worn by three presidents—George Washington, John Adams and Abraham Lincoln—as well as Mary Todd Lincoln. The project will be matched with $482,170 in nonfederal share.

“We are honored to be recipients of this grant, which will allow us to further conserve numerous historic garments in the Museum’s extensive costume collection,” said Chicago History Museum President Donald Lassere. “It is through our collections, including the costume collection, we are able to share Chicago stories from diverse perspectives and we are grateful to the National Park Service for this gift.”

With more than 50,000 costumes and textiles dating from the eighteenth century to the present, the Museum’s world-renowned Costume and Textiles Collection is noted for both its size and the quality of its holdings. Costume materials include work by distinguished designers such as Charles James, Paul Poiret, House of Worth, Chanel, House of Dior, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent. The collection also includes clothing worn by former presidents and first ladies, sports stars, celebrities and other luminaries, as well as by everyday Chicagoans. Together, these materials reflect the history of Chicago as an evolving urban center and document fashion history through the lens of Chicago and its people.

Administered by NPS in partnership with the Institute of Museums and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities, the Save America’s Treasures grants this year will fund 59 projects that will preserve nationally significant sites and historic collections in 26 states and the District of Columbia. Since 1999, the Save America’s Treasures program has provided over $405 million from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) to more than 1,400 projects to provide preservation and conservation work on nationally significant collections, artifacts, structures and sites.

For more information on the Museum’s Costume and Textiles Collection, please visit: https://www.chicagohistory.org/collection/costumes-and-textiles/

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ABOUT THE CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM
The Chicago History Museum is situated on ancestral homelands of the Potawatomi people, who cared for the land until forced out by non-Native settlers. Established in 1856, the Museum is located at 1601 N. Clark Street in Lincoln Park, its third location. A major museum and research center for Chicago and U.S. history, the Chicago History Museum strives to be a destination for learning, inspiration, and civic engagement. Through dynamic exhibitions, tours, publications, special events and programming, the Museum connects people to Chicago’s history and to each other. The Museum collects and preserves millions of artifacts, documents, and images to assist in sharing Chicago stories. The Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the Chicago Park District on behalf of the people of Chicago.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 430+ national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

In 2024, the Chicago Temple Building marks the centenary of its physical building. CHM curator of religion and community history Rebekah Coffman, a panelist for a Chicago Temple architectural symposium, writes about the history of Methodism in the city.

Exterior views of the Chicago Temple Building. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman, 2023

Located in the Loop, the Chicago Temple building is a visual landmark in the city’s skyline. Skyscraper and a church in one, this seemingly unusual blending of the secular and the sacred has drawn thousands of congregants for worship and curious visitors to admire since it opened its doors in 1924. Known as the “Mother Church of Chicago Methodism,” First Methodist helped fund the launch of almost 200 churches and played roles in the establishment of Chicagoland institutions including Northwestern University (founded 1851), Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (founded 1855), and Wesley Memorial Hospital (founded 1888), among others. Dedicated on September 28, 1924, the world’s tallest monument to Methodism celebrates its centenary this week.

Stained glass windows depicting early locations and founding leadership of the First Methodist Church, pages from The Chicago Temple, CHM, F548.62 .F57 1975. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman

As a congregation, First United Methodist Church of Chicago is said to be the city’s oldest established Christian church community, even predating the incorporation of the City of Chicago in 1837. Methodism is part of the Protestant Christian tradition and began in England with the work of minister John Wesley. Methodist missionaries, including John Wesley and his brother Charles, came to North America beginning in the 1730s and Methodism spread across the continent through the First (1730–40) and Second (1790–1840) Great Awakening revivalist movements, coming to the Chicago area during the Second Great Awakening.

The First Methodist community began meeting in 1831 as part of a circuit led by Rev. Jesse Walker, first meeting in a home where Merchandise Mart stands today. By 1834, they met in a newly constructed log cabin on the north bank of the Chicago River. Just a few years later, the cabin was rolled on logs across the river and moved to the church’s current location at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Clark Street.

Image of two of First Methodist Church’s early buildings, from Diamond Jubilee booklet, 1910, CHM, F38WK.Y-F5 1910; the ruins of churches & buildings destroyed in the Chicago Fire, including the ruins of the Methodist church block (second row, right), 1871. CHM, ICHi-085795. Photographs by Rebekah Coffman

By 1845, the congregation had grown and built a purpose-built brick church with a spire at the cost of $12,000 (almost $500,000 today). As the city grew, church leaders realized they were locationally advantaged and decided to expand their ventures into both religious and commercial uses, building a new multipurpose building in 1858 on the same site. Rental income from the commercial spaces was used in turn to finance new Methodist congregations. Four stories high, it held business and stores on the first two floors with a worship space and classrooms taking place in the top two floors. This structure was lost during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Reused religious building that was first built by First Methodist Church as a temporary structure following the 1871 Fire, was moved and reused by several Christian congregations before its current reuse as Masjid Abu Bakar in the Wrigleyville neighborhood. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman, 2022; First Methodist multi-use building that replaced the temporary wooden chapel. From Diamond Jubilee booklet, 1910, CHM, F38WK.Y-F5 1910

Following the fire, church leaders made the bold decision to remain downtown and rebuild at what had become known as the “Methodist Corner.” The congregation first built a temporary wooden structure to meet in, while they developed yet another mixed-use venture, this time to the tune of $130,000 (over $3.4 million today). Opened in 1873, the new building also housed both commercial and religious uses, with proceeds benefitting other Methodist ministries in the city. The temporary chapel was charitably passed on to an establishing Methodist congregation in Ravenswood, changing hands and moving locations several times before reaching its current home in Wrigleyville where it is repurposed as a mosque today.

Construction of the tower of the Chicago Temple, or the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Chicago, 1923, DN-0075439, Chicago Daily News collection, CHM; Fritz Skaripori kneeling next to podium on raised platform to finish construction of altar at Chicago Temple, with A. Fromhold standing on the ground in front of the platform and F.J. Thielbar, trustee. September 1924, DN-0077749, Chicago Daily News Collection, CHM.

Decades later, the congregation was inspired to rebuild once again, this time looking to downtown’s growing skyscraper presence for architectural inspiration. In 1903, Illinois State Legislature passed the Dixon Act, which conditionally allowed the church to expand their footprint and build a true skyscraper if rental income continued to benefit new churches. After a series of delays due to the onset of World War I, the death of leader Arthur Dixon in 1917, and pending legal matters, the efforts to build were renewed in 1920 under the leadership of Rev. John Thompson.

Program from the Corner Stone Laying of the Chicago Temple building, November 5, 1922 and Program from the Dedication of the Chicago Temple Building, September 28, 1924. CHM, F38WK .Y-F5z OVERSIZE and F38WK .Y-F5 1924. Photographs by Rebekah Coffman

The cornerstone for the new skyscraper church was laid in 1922. At the congregation’s final service in their previous building, Rev. Thompson, known as the “Shepherd of the Loop,” is quoted as stating, “Changing conditions require new adaptations in methods, and a larger, more varied ministry.” The choice to rebuild again downtown came at a time when many congregations were choosing to sell lucrative properties and move toward the suburbs.

Architectural Drawings for the Chicago Temple, CHM, ICHi-182817 and ICHi-182814, Holabird & Roche, architect. Photographs by Rebekah Coffman

The First Methodist congregation commissioned architectural firm Holabird & Roche (later Holabird & Root), who were known for their skills in designing some of the earliest skyscrapers in the world. Examples of their buildings can be found across Chicago’s skyline, including the Pontiac Building (1891), the Marquette Building (1895), the Century Building (1915), and Soldier Field (1924).

Sky Chapel brochure, CHM, F38WK .Y-F5z OVERSIZE. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman

The congregation’s current building contains three worship spaces: the primary sanctuary on the ground floor; the Dixon Chapel on the second floor; and the eponymous “Sky Chapel,” located just below the Temple’s steeple. Donated by the Walgreens family of pharmaceutical fame, the Sky Chapel opened in 1952. At 400 feet tall, it claims to be the world’s highest worship space.

Stained glass window details showing buildings from the city of Chicago, including the Chicago Temple. Photographs by Rebekah Coffman, 2023.

Chicago Temple’s main sanctuary features an impressive cycle of stained glass that covers themes ranging from biblical stories of both the Christian Old and New Testaments to contemporary representations local to Chicago. For example, the west wall New City Window holds a “church within a church” moment by depicting the Temple building itself, with an adjacent view showing connected institutions such as Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Northwestern University, Wesley Hospital, and Christian Home. Another features an iconic downtown Chicago scene along the Chicago River.

Portrait of Clarence Darrow, Chicago, c. 1900. CHM, ICHi-031827; Alderman Leon Depres (center) leads marchers down State Street on the way to City Hall in protest of segregation in Chicago Public Schools, June 25, 1965, ST-10104123-0008, Chicago Sun Times Collection, CHM

The Temple’s sacred-secular approach again allowed for a diversity of uses throughout the building, with the 5th–21st floors rented as office spaces. Over the years, many tenants have been law firms because of the nearby Cook County and US District Courts. This has included attorney Clarence Darrow, known for his roles in famous cases including the Scopes Trial and in the Leopold and Loeb murder case. Attorney and long-time alderman Leon Depres, perhaps best known for his liberal politics in opposition to Mayor Richard J. Daley, opened a law office as Depres & Lane in the Temple in 1942 and the practice under his name remains a tenant today.

Brochure by Willoughby and Company for the Chicago Temple Building, CHM, F38WK .Y-F5z OVERSIZE. Photograph by Rebekah Coffman

As many historic sacred spaces structurally age, there is a growing urgency to address issues of preservation and storytelling as well as financial and social sustainability. As these sacred spaces within and beyond Chicago look for ways to maintain relevancy and sustain themselves financially amid trends of declining worship attendance, First Methodist’s mixed-use approach makes something old feel in many ways new again. It demonstrates how congregations have creatively evaluated, adapted, and expanded their missions to meet changing needs while maintaining a sense of place and presence.

Additional Resources

Guest author Omar Torres-Kortright, the executive director of the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, writes about the Chicago salsa scene and how Angel Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra made history 20 years ago with their Grammy nomination.

When we talk about the rich history of salsa music in the United States, it’s hard not to notice Chicago’s absence from the spotlight. The bustling salsa scene in New York City, with its legendary record labels like Fania Records, dominated the narrative during the late 1960s and ’70s, establishing itself as the undisputed salsa capital of North America. Unfortunately, Chicago’s salseros have often found themselves overlooked by the Recording Academy when it comes to recognition. That all changed nearly 20 years ago with a groundbreaking nomination that shimmered like a strobe light on the dance floor and put the eyes of the salsa world on Chicago.

Amid this musical landscape, Latin Street Dancing promoter, professional dancer, and first-time recording producer Andrés Meneses joined forces with the masterful trombonist Angel Meléndez and his swinging 911 Mambo Orchestra.

“I met Angel back in college while hiring bands for events at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. One of the bands we brought in was La Confidencia, which featured Angel Meléndez,” Meneses recalls.

Celia Cruz performing at the Aragon Ballroom, 1106 West Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, in 1982. La Confidencia was her backing band that night with Angel Meléndez on trombone. ST-30002632-0012, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM

La Confidencia, led by Polish American trumpet player Richard Straka, captivated Chicago’s dance halls for more than two decades, backing grand musical acts, including the “Queen of Salsa” herself, Celia Cruz. Other local bands like La Mafia del Ritmo, Shorty Ramírez & Orchestra, La Nativa, Típica Leal, and Típica 78 emerged in the early days to keep the salsa flame alive, but these groups struggled to survive into the late ’80’s and ’90s.

Angel Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra performing at WGN TV studios. Photograph courtesy of Andrés Meneses.

“In La Confidencia, Angel was the trombone player, and the late Mike Maldonado was the singer. We hit it off immediately,” Meneses remembers fondly. When Andrés approached Angel about creating a demo for the 911 Mambo Orchestra, he knew that his reputation for bringing together top talent would shine in their ambitious 20-piece project. “As a music teacher, Angel was amazing at maintaining a high caliber of musicianship. He always drew from a talented pool of young musicians, elevating them to new heights.”

Mambo contestant Ray Martin leaps in the air while his partner, Lorraine Tovall, keeps the beat during auditions for the Sun-Times Harvest Moon Festival at the Sheraton Hotel, 505 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, on November 9, 1954. ST-17601270, Sun-Times collection, CHM

Eager to capture the classic big band sound synonymous with the 1950s Mambo era, Meneses and Meléndez sought the expertise of Jon Fausty, a legendary Fania Records sound engineer. Fausty was thrilled about the project and committed himself to recording all the musicians simultaneously—just like in the golden days of salsa. This approach served a dual purpose: to recreate that authentic big band mambo sound and to make the most of their recording budget.

The Grammy-nominated album, Angel Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra (2005).

However, Fausty had one stipulation: the album must be sent to the Grammys for consideration in the fiercely competitive Best Traditional Tropical Album category. This is how what was originally intended to serve as a demo to promote the band, became the first ever Grammy nomination for a Chicago-based salsa project.

The CD release party at The Chicago International Salsa Congress with Jimmy Bosch and Angel Meléndez on trombone, February 16, 2004. Photograph courtesy of Andrés Meneses.

Reflecting on that journey, Meneses describes the experience of working with Fausty as profoundly educational. He credits Fausty’s genius at the soundboard as instrumental to the success of their project. Today, as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Angel Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra’s historic 2004 Grammy nomination, it’s vital to acknowledge the significant role Chicago plays in the salsa tapestry of America. This moment not only showcased the talent brewing in the Windy City but also solidified its place in the broader salsa narrative—a side of the story that deserves to be told.

Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra performing in 2016. Photograph courtesy of Andrés Meneses.

CHICAGO (September 18, 2024) – As the Chicago History Museum celebrates major milestones for its costume collection and Costume Council’s history, it is thrilled to announce its newest exhibition, Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective. Opening October 19, the exhibition will offer guests an exclusive look at dozens of extraordinary objects, including some that have never been displayed. Through the exhibition, visitors will explore how clothing captures material, social, and changing cultural values throughout history.

Featuring over 70 artifacts, Dressed in History is an eclectic mix of garments and accessories representing men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing that spans from couture designer ensembles to home-sewn items. Highlighting the long and rich history of fashion, manufacturing, and retail that has been part of the city’s identity for nearly 200 years, the exhibition is divided into four different sections: Everyday/Sportswear, Couture & Designer, Historic Dress, and Art & Fashion. Within the space, guests will be able to see a range of artifacts from a Christian Dior gown to a baby’s wool bathing suit.

“Clothing is an artifact all of us can relate to, and Chicagoans have a long history with fashion as consumers, retailers, designers, and manufacturers,” says exhibition curator, Jessica Pushor. “From the birthplace of mail-order catalogs to the large garment manufacturing industry from 1880 to the 1920s, Chicago has had a major impact on fashion history and continues to do so through the city’s design schools, local designers who call Chicago home, and retail establishments. We hope visitors will leave the exhibition with a better understanding of the holdings in our costume collection and the intriguing stories these objects can tell.”

The Chicago History Museum invites the public to join them in exploring fashion history through this rare behind-the-scenes look at its vast costume collection.

A preview week for Dressed in History will be held October 16‒18, during which members of the press are invited to tour the exhibition and hear from the curator. For more information, please visit the Chicago History Museum’s website or contact the Museum’s press office.

Media kit available here: https://chicagohistory.box.com/s/b5qfpiukm7fu8zob5k1dhxajkkplu7ce

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To learn more or request an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the Museum’s Public Communications Manager.

In this blog post, mount maker Michael Hall tells a story seen in the stitches of a Madame Merlot-Larchevêque dress he prepared for display in Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective, which opens on October 19, 2024.

There’s nothing more fun than deciphering a mystery! Historical costumes often come with many un-recorded secrets and as such, mounting them (putting them on a mannequin for display) for an exhibition can be difficult. A fantastic example of this is a gorgeous burnt orange and pink-striped Madame Merlot-Larchevêque silk taffeta dress, c. 1864.

Michael Hall adjusts the Madame Merlot-Larchevêque dress during photography.

Upon first assessment, the dress has many alterations that seem innocuous enough. However, after further inspection and a test fit, the skirt silhouette didn’t fully match the ascribed time period. With my interest piqued, I set to research the subtleties of silhouettes from the late 1800s. My research suggested the current skirt silhouette is dated to mid-1870 and not c. 1864. Mind blown, I returned to the dress itself and studied the aforementioned alterations to better understand why a dress dated c. 1864 appeared to be styled to a later silhouette.

Two dressed versions of the same skirt, one c. 1864 (left), the other c. 1870s (right).

In 1864, women’s fashion saw dresses that were full and round with a nipped waist, sloped shoulders with wide-cut sleeves, and high-set bust. Many of the dress’s original seam lines, cut, and shape all appeared to be from that date, but the alterations told a different story. In the 1870s, prevailing trends took the rounded skirt and swooped it toward the back to create a bustle, which at that time was quite voluminous. Jackets would still be nipped in at the waist, but the sleeves and shoulders would become more tailored.

I noticed the front panel of the skirt was crudely cut and quickly reattached by sewing machine without any attention to seam finishing or correct fit. It was reworked at the waist with an off-centered front panel, pleating that was unevenly replaced, and a hemline that was oblong and draped in a way that contradicted the c. 1864 date.

The front of the altered skirt at the waist.

The jacket is further nipped at the waist with additional pieces added to the hem for a grander flare. Additionally, the front of the jacket has loose and missing elements along with some signs of alterations that appear to suggest it was taken in.

Left: The exterior of the altered jacket with missing parts. Right: The interior with an additional piece inserted at waist.

One may ask, why would someone alter an already gorgeous dress? Simple—to keep up with the fashions of the day. It was not uncommon for people to alter, make repairs, or give older dresses to the younger generation who would modify the older styles into something more modern.

When the dress was photographed, it was styled as it would have been in the 1870s. CHM, ICHi-179975

So, how would I mount a dress that doesn’t have a clear silhouette and have it still be accurate, stable, and supported? I start with the assessment, move onto research, and then build the mount to correspond to the most current state even if it appears counter to what has been originally presented. Next time you see a dress on display that looks a little off, perhaps consider that it wasn’t originally made that way, but instead, was altered to be more “à la mode.”

Additional Resources

Learn more about Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective, which opens October 19, 2024
Purchase the Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective exhibition catalogue
View more images of this dress and other images of items in our Costume and Textile Collection
Visit the Abakanowicz Research Center to peruse our Costume Research Collection

In 2020, based on previous connections through the Museum’s exhibition, American Medina: Stories of Muslim Chicago, Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) contacted CHM’s Studs Terkel Center for Oral History regarding collaboration around its Jackson Oral History Project (JOHP). The oral history center jumped at this opportunity to continue its goal of supporting collaborative community based oral history projects using tools of oral history for goals of social justice.

Operation Breadbasket News, the official voice of the movement; in this publication, Breadbasket proclaimed, “We believe, since we are brothers and sisters, we have a responsibility to and for each other,” October 3, 1969. CHM, ICHi-183715

In 1965, Rev. Jesse Jackson launched Operation Breadbasket (which later became Operation PUSH), a movement to help formally organize Chicago ministers to promote more employment opportunities for local Black individuals. Jackson was a student at CTS during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and his time at CTS shaped his career. He and his wife Jacqueline both spoke of the value of a CTS education in their early formation.

Operation Breadbasket protest poster urging consumers to boycott Hawthorn-Mellody products, 1966. CHM ICHi-183509

Through a generous grant from the Donnelley Foundation, CTS recently completed collecting an oral history of Rev. Jackson’s civil rights work in Chicago as a way to preserve the stories of the Civil Rights Movement in Chicago. Told by the people who lived and worked in the movement, these interviews are a window into a past that informs our present.

Interviewed by Rev. Brian E. Smith and Kim Schultz, the interview narrators include:

Rev. David Wallace, former Chicago branch secretary for Operation Breadbasket
Rev. Janette C. Wilson, advisor to Rev. Jesse Jackson and Director of PUSH Excel
Rev. Martin Deppe, who worked with Operation Breadbasket
Hermene Hartman, founder of N’DIGO Studio and publications
Betty Massoni, wife of late Chicago activist Rev. Gary Massoni
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., Civil Rights activist and head of the Chicago branch of Operation Breadbasket

In February 2024, a public launch of the JOHP took place in CHM’s Robert R. McCormick Theater. The evening’s event included listening to oral history clips and a discussion panel with the project narrators led by Rev. Smith, which you can view here. “The Jackson Oral History Project has been an unprecedented opportunity to capture stories from key figures in the Chicago Civil Rights Movement,” said Rev. Smith. “The archive documents in vivid detail the birth of this movement, showing how CTS acted as an incubator for the movement’s early leaders, including Rev. Jackson himself.”

Faith and lay leaders holding signs that spell out “Selma Wall” march from the Brown Chapel AME Church to police barricades set up a block away, Selma, Alabama, March 1965. CHM, ICHi-075291; Declan Haun, photographer

In partnership with CHM, the institutions used these oral histories to create an online exhibition featuring the under-told story of these Civil Rights activists working in the Chicago Breadbasket Movement, documenting the birth of this movement in Chicago and highlighting the importance of CTS as an incubator in that movement.

The online exhibition can be viewed below or at CHM’s Google Arts & Culture site. This online experience brings together JOHP excerpts and quotations with documents and photographs from the Museum’s varied collections. The full audio interviews along with photographs of the narrators are hosted online through CTS and can be found here.

The two organizations continue this initiative through an upcoming trolley tour of South Side Chicago sites highlighted in the JOHP and important to the Chicago Civil Rights Movement.

In 1980, a Chicago steel mill called Wisconsin Steel Works, large enough to take up most of South Deering, a community area on the city’s far South Side, closed its doors forever. Ownership of the mill had recently been sold by International Harvester, who had been using the mill for their farm equipment, to a very new company called Envirodyne, which had no experience in the industry. When their poor management led to the mill abruptly closing, however, it was the mill’s thousands of employees who dealt with the consequences. In honor of Labor Day, we’ll be looking at the history of how Chicago’s steel workers organized and cared for one another throughout the twentieth century, whether that be in a union, caucus, or autonomously.

When it originally opened in 1875, the mill was the Joseph H. Brown Iron and Steel Company. It became Wisconsin Steel Works under International Harvester in 1902. This letter W sign is from the Wisconsin Steel Works mill. CHM, ICHi-066079. In CHM’s Museum Collection, 2000.68.2.

Since steel mills first opened in the late nineteenth century, working in them has been a difficult and dangerous job. Steelworkers work with heavy machinery, fire, and molten metal. In an oral history interview for the Southeast Chicago Historical Society, Osborne Ferguson, who worked at the Acme Steel Plant from 1964 to 2001 said that the first day he went into the mill with just a shirt and pants on, the heat was so intense that he went and ate his lunch outside on the steps.

These steel-toed boots were owned and used by Herbert H. Post, a civil engineer, who worked at US Steel South Works from 1948 to 1977, designed to protect him both from the mill temperatures that could go above 110 degrees Fahrenheit as well as the heavy machinery he worked with. CHM, ICHi-040640_view01. In CHM’s Museum Collection, 2000.116.2a-b.

These jobs still drew in many people because of the community and the union benefits. In an interview for the Studs Terkel Center for Oral History, Roberta Wood, a steelworker, activist, and communist, described how she and lots of women began working in the steel mills after 1974 when organized African American workers fought for equal hiring rights across racial and gender lines. They found that they had many issues in common, like inadequate bathrooms, workplace harassment, and a lack of representation in their union leadership. Together, they formed a women’s caucus across multiple steel mills in the Chicago and Northwest Indiana area. As a result, they not only began to make gains for women in steel mills, but also were able to win leadership positions in the United Steelworkers union and create a community that Wood describes as a place they could be in community with and in support of one another.

This photograph was taken in 1985 at an outside gathering of some of the Save Our Jobs Committee members, including Juanita Andrade and Frank Lumpkin and others. CHM, ICHi-031930.

While the sense of community counted for a lot, the benefits like the pension plan, unemployment benefits, and insurance that the union had fought hard for also gave steelworkers the ability to provide for themselves and their families. These mill jobs were not easy to get other work with, as their skills were not easily translatable to a different industry, which made it all the more difficult for the workers of Wisconsin Steel Works when it abruptly closed in 1980. Neither International Harvester nor Envirodyne would give them the benefits or even the last cycle of pay that they were owed. So, one of the workers at the mill, Frank Lumpkin, worked with a group of former steelworkers to form the Save Our Jobs (SOJ) Committee, which organized demonstrations and legal work to get the mill reopened. When that became impossible, they turned to organizing to get the benefits owed to them. Eventually, they won their court settlements, which saved many people’s homes and lives.

This is the front page of a newsletter issued by the Wisconsin Steelworkers Save Our Jobs Committee in 1987, reporting on a rally of over 400 people in support of the committee and the workers’ class action lawsuit to regain their benefits. It also recognizes the mourning and memory of the 600 former workers who had died within the seven years since the mill had closed. Wisconsin Steelworkers Save Our Jobs News, Vol. 3, No. 2, March 28, 1987. Southeast Chicago Historical Society Digital Archive, FIC-0000-054.

However, SOJ meetings and actions also served as a vital social support system for the unemployed steelworkers who faced isolation, depression, and rising cases of suicide. The SOJ cared for one another and recognized the struggles of their fellow workers, so they put on dinners and other events to make sure people were kept in their support. Chicago’s story of the SOJ shows that workers can organize and win in many different circumstances, and this year on Labor Day we should remember that community and solidarity go hand in hand in the fight for workers’ rights.

About the Author

Dan Murrieta worked this summer as a collections intern at the Swedish American Museum. He is an undergraduate student at Northwestern University studying History, Literature, and Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

Additional Resources

Frank and Beatrice Lumpkin Papers at CHM’s Abakanowicz Research Center
Chicago Cold War: Beatrice Lumpkin Oral History Interview
Chicago Cold War: Roberta Wood Oral History Interview
The HistoryMakers biography of Frank Lumpkin
“Always Bring a Crowd”: The Story of Frank Lumpkin, Steelworker
Resources from the Southeast Chicago Archive & Storytelling Project

At a time when depictions of African Americans in the media were largely negative and used racist stereotypes, Chicago-based Ebony magazine was founded in 1945 by John H. Johnson at the height of the Chicago Black Renaissance. It was the flagship magazine of Johnson Publishing Company, which published other iconic magazines including Jet and Negro Digest, and mirrored Life magazine’s format.

Ebony’s content initially focused on African American achievement and celebrity, but over time the magazine paid more attention to issues of social justice. Starting in the 1960s through the mid-1990s, once a year, typically in August, Ebony published a special issue devoted to timely themes with dramatic covers. Five of these issues are on display in our exhibition Designing for Change: Chicago Protest Art of the 1960s–70s. Learn more about these special issues below, and then come to the Chicago History Museum to see them in person.

Ebony Special Issue: The Emancipation Proclamation, September 1963
Cover designed by Herbert Nipson and Norman Hunter

Ebony’s first special issue commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. But instead of Abraham Lincoln, who authored the decree, the cover featured Frederick Douglass, noted African American abolitionist who often criticized Lincoln for moving too slowly against slavery during the Civil War. The entire 236-page issue was devoted to 100 years of hope and struggle for African Americans and contained contributions from guest authors, including President John F. Kennedy and former Presidents Hoover, Truman, and Eisenhower. In a “Statement from the Publisher,” John H. Johnson wrote that the Emancipation centennial is “a time for rededication to the unfinished business of eradicating segregation and discrimination from every facet of American life.”

Ebony Special Issue: The White Problem in America, August 1965
Cover designed by Herbert Temple

At the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Herbert Temple, Ebony’s lead designer, created this provocative cover that addressed American racism. Temple, a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, also designed for Negro Digest/Black World, also on view in Designing for Change. The issue was devoted to examining the “race problem” in the United States with a “thorough study of the man who created the problem.” The “Publisher’s Statement” reads: “In this issue we, as Negroes, look at the white man today with the hope that our effort will tempt him to look at himself more thoroughly. With a better understanding of himself, we trust that he may then understand us better—and this nation’s most vital problem can then be solved.”

Ebony Special Issue: Negro Youth in America, August 1967
Cover designed by Cecil Ferguson

This issue focused on challenges faced by African Americans under age 25, including economic hardships, gangs, education, employment, and rural isolation. It also looked at the contributions Black youth made to inspire the sit-in movement as well as the arts, like popular dance and music. These topics were then combined to focus on the challenges youth face in having the educational and economic tools they need to extend into adulthood the cultural contributions they have already made. The cover of the issue was based on a mural created by Ebony artist Cecil Ferguson and photographer Lacey Crawford. Note, the term “Negro” remained in use at the time, but it was losing favor to the more contemporary term “Black.”

Ebony Special Issue: The Black Revolution, August 1969
Cover designed by Herbert Temple

Ebony addressed the Black Power Movement in this issue with a dramatic cover portrait of a “Black Revolutionary” by Herbert Temple. Staring with a “Publisher’s Statement” that acknowledged an end to the promise of the March On Washington following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. the previous year, the issue featured many articles expressing different points of view on the Black Revolution. Contributions came from Black leaders, philosophers, activists, and historians, including “The Black Panthers” by Huey P. Newton and “The Myth of the Revolutionaries” by longtime Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin, who was more critical of the movement.

Ebony Special Issue: Which Way Black America?, August 1970
Cover designed by Herbert Temple

Herbert Temple’s cover illustrates the conversation among African Americans about “just where the black man stands in America today.” The issue brought together thinkers representing separatist, integrationist, and liberationist perspectives. Among these articles were “Integration” by Roy Wilkins and “A Dialogue on Separatism” by Jesse Jackson Jr. and Alvin Puissant. Lerone Bennett Jr. also contributed an article about the historical roots of racial division dating back to colonial America. In his “Publisher’s Statement,” John H. Johnson noted that in spite of the wide range of views, “there is a stronger unity among blacks today than at any other time in history.”

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