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CHICAGO HISTORY 101: THE SPEAKEASY SERIES
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Chicago History 101: The Speakeasy Series returns for a third year to hidden hideaway Room 13 to help Chicago residents learn more about the history of their city! Presented by Chicago for Chicagoans, this pay-what-you-can educational series is meant to provoke understanding and discussion of our city’s past, while exploring how that history impacts and influences our future.
This year, we're diving into the rich history of Chicago's many nicknames, slogans, & mottos. From our oft-repeated monikers ("Second City", "Windy City") to the historical epithets lost to time ("Mud City," "Paris on the Prairie"), this series will examine the people who name us, how we earned our labels, and the history behind the phrases we inscribe and utter everyday. Join an illustrious lineup of Chicago historians & experts for fifteen one-of-a-kind evenings featuring lectures, discussions, interviews, and lots of tasty cocktails!
This year, we're diving into the rich history of Chicago's many nicknames, slogans, & mottos. From our oft-repeated monikers ("Second City", "Windy City") to the historical epithets lost to time ("Mud City," "Paris on the Prairie"), this series will examine the people who name us, how we earned our labels, and the history behind the phrases we inscribe and utter everyday. Join an illustrious lineup of Chicago historians & experts for fifteen one-of-a-kind evenings featuring lectures, discussions, interviews, and lots of tasty cocktails!
2019-2020 LINEUPRegister online starting two weeks in advance! Speaker profiles are available on our website here. Topics subject to change.
11/14/19 | THE SECOND CITY | our inferiority complex 11/21/19 | THE WONDER CITY | a legacy of amazing individuals 12/5/19 | THE CITY BEAUTIFUL | beauty versus logic 12/12/19 | PARIS ON THE PRAIRIE | and who we really envy 12/18/19 | MUD CITY | Chicago Brick and other materials 1/15/20 | THE WINDY CITY | polar vortexes, wind, & weather 1/22/20 | THE CITY THAT WORKS | trains & grains 1/29/20 | HOG BUTCHER FOR THE WORLD | blue collar industry 2/12/20 | THE GREAT CENTRAL MARKET | retail mavens of State St. 2/19/20 | THE WHITE CITY | Jackson Park & beyond 2/26/20 | CHI-BEERIA | taverns, booze, & staying warm 3/11/20 | THE CHICAGO WAY | politics & corruption 3/25/20 | THIRD COAST | hub of the heartland 4/8/20 | THE GREAT AMERICAN CITY | a legacy of invention 11/14/19 | THE SECOND CITY Featured Speaker: Patti Swanson (Executive Director, Chicago for Chicagoans) chats our city's deep-seeded inferiority complex CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 11/21/19 | THE WONDER CITY Featured Speaker: Leyla Royale (Senior Field Agent, Atlas Obscura) explores the legacy of amazing Chicagoans... excluding all the rich white guys CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 12/5/19 | THE CITY BEAUTIFUL Featured Speaker: Bill Savage (Professor, Northwestern University) tells us why the City Logical would have been a better plan CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 12/12/19 | PARIS ON THE PRAIRIE Featured Speaker: Ben Archer (Proprietor, Been There Tours) marvels at all the things we've stolen from the French capital CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 12/18/19 | MUD CITY Featured Speaker: Will Quam (Proprietor, Brick of Chicago) shows us the marvelous building materials we made from swampy soil CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 1/15/19 | THE WINDY CITY Featured Speaker: Adam Selzer (Author, H.H. Holmes: The True Story of the White City Devil) walks us through our city's historically terrible weather CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 1/22/20 | THE CITY THAT WORKS Featured Speaker: Ava Battocchio (Graduate Student, Loyola University) spins a tale of grains, trains, and people who work CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 1/29/20 | HOG BUTCHER FOR THE WORLD Featured Speaker: Erica Ruggiero (Historic Preservationist, McGuire Igleski & Associates) elaborates on our industrial and slaughterhouse history CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 2/12/20 | THE GREAT CENTRAL MARKET Featured Speaker: Anthony Alfaro (Creator, Boys, Backroads & Kitsch) reminisces on the retail giants of State Street CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 2/19/20 | THE WHITE CITY Featured Speaker: Beatrice Hardy (Creator, Freedom 13 & Ms. Bea's Historical Community Tours) explores the 1893 World's Fair & the legacy of the South Side CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 2/26/20 | CHI-BEERIA Featured Speaker: Liz Garibay (Founder, History on Tap; Chicago Brewseum) talks the power of beer in getting you through winter CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 3/11/20 | THE CHICAGO WAY Featured Speaker: Paul Dailing (Author, 1001 Chicago Afternoons) explores the history of politics and corruption in Chicago CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 3/25/20 | THIRD COAST Featured Speaker: Juliana Glassco (Board Member, Chicago for Chicagoans) chats canals, shipwrecks, and our watery legacy CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 4/8/20 | THE GREAT AMERICAN CITY Featured Speaker: Walter Kiefer (Collaborator, Chicago for Chicagoans) dives into the history of our greatest inventions CLICK HERE TO REGISTER Conclusion | CHICAGO TRIVIA Emcee: Patti Swanson (Executive Director, Chicago for Chicagoans) REGISTRATION LINK COMING SOON |
EVENT INFORMATIONWHAT TO EXPECT
Each night of the series will feature local scholars speaking on a different topic of Chicago history. Attendees can expect to take in about an hour and a half of lively, informal discussion, followed by time for questions, mingling, and group conversation. All interest and experience levels welcome -- just come prepared to learn & chat about all things Chicago! Doors open at 6:45pm. Lectures begin promptly at 7:15pm. PRICE Affordability and accessibility of history is important to us. This series is offered on a pay-what-you-can basis with a suggested, tax-deductible donation of $10-20 recommended for those with the means to contribute. Chicago for Chicagoans is a volunteer-run, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization financed exclusively by our supporters. You can donate in advance online, or in person with cash or credit card. ABOUT THE VENUE
This series is made possible by the generosity of our hosts! Room 13 is the Old Chicago Inn's very own private, members-only, Prohibition-inspired speakeasy. Room 13's bar will be available to lecture attendees for the duration of the event, accepting cash & credit card. Interested in setting up a prospective member visit, or becoming a member year-round? Contact Room 13. ACCESSING THE EVENT Lecture attendees will be emailed a password the week of the event to use at the door for access. As a result, Eventbrite RSVPs are required for every guest. Those unable to secure a spot in advance are welcome to try their luck at the door, where any available spaces day-of will be allotted on a first-come, first-serve basis from 7:00-7:15pm! EVENT LIMITATIONS • Because this lecture series takes place in a place where alcohol is served, attendees must be at least 21 years old to attend. • Unfortunately, the historic greystone building is not wheelchair accessible. Please email us if you have a physical disability limiting your ability to tackle stairs, and we will try to accommodate you. • As a period-appropriate speakeasy, Room 13 requires proper dress, following a business casual model. Gentlemen are asked to wear some sort of collar (jacket, sweater, button-up, etc). Nice denim, without wear and tear, is acceptable. No athletic wear, please. • Presentations and discussions are meant to be inclusive, covering diverse histories and occasionally controversial subject matter. Respectfulness, empathy, and a willingness to listen and engage are key. Inflammatory speech will not be tolerated, and those who cannot engage compassionately will be asked to leave. |
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(but we're not super diligent about sending it)
Click "My Applets" then "New Applet"
IF = RSS Feed, "New Feed Item"
If you want to follow our Facebook events (our tours + friends' tours), paste this link:
https://zapier.com/engine/rss/2898980/chi4chicagoans-facebook/
If you want to follow our Eventbrite events (just our tours), paste this link:
https://zapier.com/engine/rss/2898980/chi4chicagoans/
THEN = Choose your notification preference!
When we post a new event, IFTTT will let you know.
You can also sign up for our email newsletter on the contact page.
(but we're not super diligent about sending it)
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