WINTER LECTURE SERIES 2022
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CHICAGO OBSCURA:THE LITTLE KNOWN HISTORIES YOU SHOULD KNOW
A lecture series exploring overlooked stories, frequently forgotten individuals, brand new historical discoveries, unusual occurrences, and uniquely Chicago moments
JANUARY - APRIL, 2022
LIVE • THURSDAYS @ 7PM IN PERSON AT ROOM 13 & STREAMED LIVE ON FACEBOOK CLICK HERE FOR RECORDINGS! |
REGISTRATION REQUIRED: IN PERSON ONLY • NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED: VIRTUAL ATTENDEES
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Thursday, JANUARY 6TH, 2022 | 7:00PM to 9:00PM | Room 13
// AVIATION IN CHICAGO Octave Chanute, the Wright Brothers, and other pioneering Midwesterners who sent people into the skies. Guest speaker: Walter Kiefer (click for bio) → WATCH THE RECORDING Thursday, JANUARY 13TH, 2022 | 7:00PM to 9:00PM | Room 13
// DEEP DARK LAKE MICHIGAN Ghost ships, pirates, tunnels & more: strange and sordid stories pulled from the depths of Chicago's inland sea. Guest speaker: Sam Prestigiacomo (click for bio) → WATCH THE RECORDING Thursday, JANUARY 20TH, 2022 | 7:00PM to 9:00PM | Room 13
// TALES OF THE CHICAGO STAGE Exploring stories of actors acting, early film, and the underappreciated art of Chicago performance thru the ages. Guest speaker: Lance Baker (click for bio) → REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON (OPENS 1/6 • DOORS AT 6:45PM) → OR WATCH LIVE, VIRTUALLY, ON FACEBOOK (LIVESTREAM STARTS AT 7:10PM) Thursday, JANUARY 27TH, 2022 | 7:00PM to 8:30PM | VIRTUAL ONLY
// PARIS ON THE PRAIRIE: PARLEZ-VOUS CHICAGOAN? Joliet! Marquette! DuSable! Illinois! Des Plaines! Discovering the history of French colonialism & culture in Chicago. Guest speaker: Olivia Sobieraj (click for bio) → WATCH LIVE, VIRTUALLY, ON FACEBOOK (LIVESTREAM STARTS AT 7:00PM) Thursday, FEBRUARY 3RD, 2022 | 7:00PM to 9:00PM | Room 13
// WHERE DID ALL THE PUBLIC HOUSING GO? A history of public housing in Chicago, from the policies that shaped them, to segregation, demolition, & privatization. Guest speaker: Elsa Haarstad (click for bio) → REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON (OPENS 1/20 • DOORS AT 6:45PM) → OR WATCH LIVE, VIRTUALLY, ON FACEBOOK (LIVESTREAM STARTS AT 7:10PM) Thursday, FEBRUARY 10TH, 2022 | 7:00PM to 9:00PM | Room 13
// 1920s BOHEMIA & THE WIND BLEW INN Recently unearthed tales of fearless flappers, "petting parties," secret booze, and the Inn's proprietor Lillian Collier. Guest speaker: Adam Selzer (click for bio) → REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON (OPENS 1/27 • DOORS AT 6:45PM) → OR WATCH LIVE, VIRTUALLY, ON FACEBOOK (LIVESTREAM STARTS AT 7:10PM) Thursday, FEBRUARY 17TH, 2022 | 7:00PM to 9:00PM | Room 13
// A HORRIBLE HISTORY OF CHICAGO BRIDGE SAFETY The evolution of Chicago's bridge safety (0 to 100!) as told by the deadly accidents they caused. Guest speaker: Leyla I. Royale (click for bio) → REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON (OPENS 2/3 • DOORS AT 6:45PM) → OR WATCH LIVE, VIRTUALLY, ON FACEBOOK (LIVESTREAM STARTS AT 7:10PM) Thursday, FEBRUARY 24TH, 2022 | 7:00PM to 8:30PM | VIRTUAL ONLY
// A BRIEF HISTORY OF DEMOLITION IN CHICAGO We built & we built... and then we tore it all down. How urban renewal and other factors created vacant lots citywide. Guest speaker: Patti Swanson (click for bio) → WATCH LIVE, VIRTUALLY, ON FACEBOOK (LIVESTREAM STARTS AT 7:00PM) Thursday, MARCH 3RD, 2022 | 7:00PM to 9:00PM | Room 13
// WAYWARD WARDS: REDISTRICTING CHICAGO Looking at how Chicago's wards have evolved, how they've been drawn, and how they're set to change this year. Guest speaker: Debbie Liu (click for bio) → REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON (OPENS 2/17 • DOORS AT 6:45PM) → OR WATCH LIVE, VIRTUALLY, ON FACEBOOK (LIVESTREAM STARTS AT 7:10PM) Thursday, MARCH 10TH, 2022 | 7:00PM to 9:00PM | Room 13
// FIGHTING CENSORSHIP: MARGARET ANDERSON Chicago's scandalous literary history of the 1910s-20s, centered around Margaret Anderson's The Little Review. Guest speaker: Emily O'Keefe Davenport (click for bio) → REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON (OPENS 2/24 • DOORS AT 6:45PM) → OR WATCH LIVE, VIRTUALLY, ON FACEBOOK (LIVESTREAM STARTS AT 7:10PM) Thursday, MARCH 17TH, 2022 | 7:00PM to 9:00PM | Room 13
// THE WOMEN WHO DEVELOPED CHICAGO A long-overdue dive into the history of Chicago's women architects, engineers, and real estate developers. Guest speaker: Erica Ruggiero (click for bio) → REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON (OPENS 3/3 • DOORS AT 6:45PM) → OR WATCH LIVE, VIRTUALLY, ON FACEBOOK (LIVESTREAM STARTS AT 7:10PM) Thursday, MARCH 24TH, 2022 | 7:00PM to 9:00PM | Room 13
// (ARGUABLY) THE BEST MCCORMICK Chicago's infamous McCormick family featured many bizarre historic figures... and the exceptional Katherine Dexter. Guest speaker: Mandy Crypt (click for bio) → REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON (OPENS 3/10 • DOORS AT 6:45PM) → OR WATCH LIVE, VIRTUALLY, ON FACEBOOK (LIVESTREAM STARTS AT 7:10PM) Thursday, APRIL 7TH, 2022 | 7:00PM to 9:00PM | Room 13
// HOW BRONZEVILLE INVENTED THE LOTTERY Long before it was sanctioned by any state, black Chicagoans played Policy... and Bronzeville was its epicenter. Guest speaker: Ms. Bea (click for bio) → REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON (OPENS 3/24 • DOORS AT 6:45PM) → OR WATCH LIVE, VIRTUALLY, ON FACEBOOK (LIVESTREAM STARTS AT 7:10PM) Thursday, APRIL 14TH, 2022 | 7:00PM to 9:00PM | Room 13
// CHICAGO'S LOST DIME MUSEUMS A dive into the vast & weird array of low-cost oddity museums that once proliferated throughout the city. Guest speaker: Anthony Alfaro (click for bio) → REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON (OPENS 3/31 • DOORS AT 6:45PM) → OR WATCH LIVE, VIRTUALLY, ON FACEBOOK (LIVESTREAM STARTS AT 7:10PM) |
RULES & GUIDELINES
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All of our events are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis. We suggest a tax-deductible donation of $10-20 per attendee for those who are able. Your donations help us cover the costs of hiring speakers, pay for our website, cover our annual tax & paperwork filings, buy supplies, and otherwise compensate for the myriad of expenses that small nonprofits accrue. Our staff is entirely volunteer. You can learn more about our mission here!
TOUR GUIDE CERTIFICATION
Chicago for Chicagoans invites you to join us for two half day public trainings covering all the things you need to know to be an effective and engaging neighborhood historian and tour leader. Our organization believes in a multiplicity of histories and empowering Chicago residents to actively share the stories of their city with others. These mini-seminars will give you the tools to dive deeper into the history of your neighborhood and confidently share what you learn with others. Like all of our programming, both sessions are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis. Distinguished completion of course curriculum qualifies you to lead tours and give lectures for our organization — and can help you seek jobs in tourism citywide. We'll even give you a fancy certificate!
Tour Guide 101
More dates coming soon!
To earn a certificate, participants must:
Two certificates are possible, and will be issued based on performance in items 2 & 3:
Tour Guide 101
More dates coming soon!
- Perfect for... history lovers, research enthusiasts, community activists, aspiring tour guides, and anyone wanting to become a better public speaker. No prior experience required.
- Content covered:
- Best practices for historical research
- Accessing free and publicly accessible archives
- Public speaking 101 — and an opportunity to practice with other attendees!
- Strategies for planning & giving great tours
- Collaborating and working with others
- Marketing tours for maximum impact
- Ethical and legal considerations for tours
- Entrepreneurial advice for aspiring tour operators
- Ready to sign up?
- Trainings led by Patti Swanson and Leyla Royale, plus other experts as available
- Registration is required, and is capped at 10 attendees. More dates will be announced soon!
To earn a certificate, participants must:
- Attend our Tour Guide 101 course
- Pass our post-course evaluation (brief quiz ensuring comprehension of course material)
- Plan, research, practice, and lead a tour attended and assessed by one of our current guides
Two certificates are possible, and will be issued based on performance in items 2 & 3:
- "Certificate of Completion" acknowledges the participant completed the above requirements;
- "Certificate of Distinguished Completion" acknowledges the participant completed the above requirements and showed satisfactory to excellent personal capacity for leading tours and giving history lectures.
All of our events are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis. We suggest a tax-deductible donation of $10-20 per attendee for those who are able. Your donations help us cover the costs of hiring speakers, pay for our website, cover our annual tax & paperwork filings, buy supplies, and otherwise compensate for the myriad of expenses that small nonprofits accrue. Our staff is entirely volunteer. You can learn more about our mission here!
WATCH OUR RECORDED LECTURES:
Click the thumbnail to watch the recording. Woo-hoo!
All donations from these online lectures directly benefit our speakers and general operations.
All donations from these online lectures directly benefit our speakers and general operations.
2021: WHAT'S OLD IS NEW(S) AGAIN
OTHER VIRTUAL LECTURES
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SELF-GUIDED FUNCOMMUNITY SUPPORT BINGO!This Bingo board has 25 suggestions to help you explore your city, support local businesses, get engaged, reach out to friends, and practice self-care. Print it out and get started in your own community!
1. Print or download the board 2. Play BINGO! 3. When you win, send a picture of your board to our email. 4. We'll send a little thank-you gift in the mail for being an explorer, ally, and contributor to your community! |
BUT WHAT ABOUT WALKING TOURS?!
Due to the ever-evolving climate of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are tentatively planning to offer neighborhood walking tours again in Fall 2021 or Spring 2022. We are monitoring the situation closely, evaluating staffing and new safety procedures, and slowly working our way back to "normal" along with everyone else.
WHAT'S THE HOLD UP? Having even a medium-sized group stand 6 feet apart on a sidewalk in Chicago is not possible in the majority of neighborhoods where we conduct tours. It would also be hard to hear your tour guide if you were so far away from them! Unfortunately, masks also complicate our guides' ability to project their voices.
WHAT ABOUT REDUCING TOUR CAPACITY? We pride ourselves on offering affordable, pay-what-you-can programming. We want every Chicagoan to be able to afford to learn about their city! However, this model only works with the financial wiggle room of larger group sizes. It would go against our mission to charge sky-high prices for tours only a select few can attend. Instead, we're focusing our energy this season on creating new, equitable educational programming that can be safely accessed by everyone.
WHAT ABOUT PRIVATE TOURS? If you and several of your household members would like to book a private, 5-person tour, we might be able to accommodate you! Email us to inquire about the possibility. Please note that we are working with fewer tour guides this season, so availability is limited.
WHAT WILL YOU DO INSTEAD? Right now our board of directors is knee deep in paperwork, long-term strategy planning, self-evaluating, and generally gearing up for the best, most triumphant return ever. Check back here or follow us on Facebook for updates. In the meantime... watch a recorded lecture by clicking the thumbnails above!
WHAT'S THE HOLD UP? Having even a medium-sized group stand 6 feet apart on a sidewalk in Chicago is not possible in the majority of neighborhoods where we conduct tours. It would also be hard to hear your tour guide if you were so far away from them! Unfortunately, masks also complicate our guides' ability to project their voices.
WHAT ABOUT REDUCING TOUR CAPACITY? We pride ourselves on offering affordable, pay-what-you-can programming. We want every Chicagoan to be able to afford to learn about their city! However, this model only works with the financial wiggle room of larger group sizes. It would go against our mission to charge sky-high prices for tours only a select few can attend. Instead, we're focusing our energy this season on creating new, equitable educational programming that can be safely accessed by everyone.
WHAT ABOUT PRIVATE TOURS? If you and several of your household members would like to book a private, 5-person tour, we might be able to accommodate you! Email us to inquire about the possibility. Please note that we are working with fewer tour guides this season, so availability is limited.
WHAT WILL YOU DO INSTEAD? Right now our board of directors is knee deep in paperwork, long-term strategy planning, self-evaluating, and generally gearing up for the best, most triumphant return ever. Check back here or follow us on Facebook for updates. In the meantime... watch a recorded lecture by clicking the thumbnails above!
subscribing to our events |
— Create an account on IFTTT
— Click "My Applets" then "New Applet" — IF = RSS Feed, "New Feed Item" If you want to follow our Facebook events, paste this link: https://zapier.com/engine/rss/2898980/chi4chicagoans-facebook/ If you prefer to follow our Eventbrite page, 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. |
Stay tuned... |
PLEASE NOTE:
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Help us plan an event in your neighborhood!
We're prioritizing tours in the following areas. Contact us to get involved:
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