Burnham’s Backyard Exhibit Looks at Daniel Burnham, Skokie Lagoons
Posted on Mar 18, 2009 in categories Events
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Daniel Hudson Burnham was a “starchitect” of his time, an architect whose firm was noted for many of Chicago’s best-loved skyscrapers, including the Santa Fe, People’s Gas, Rookery and Monadnock buildings. But Burnham is also known as the co-author of the 1909 Plan of Chicago, the iconic plan that began urban planning as a discipline and helped shape our region. “Make No Little Plans” was Burnham’s watchword and it is still the call of those who concerned about the Chicago area today.
Burnham’s Backyard is the newest exhibit at the Glencoe Historical Society’s Eklund History Center, 377 Park Ave., highlighting both sides of Burnham: his architecture and plans for the ring of forest preserves around Chicago including our “own” forest preserve, the Skokie Lagoons.
The exhibit is twofold: Artifacts on loan from Tim Samuelson, the City of Chicago’s cultural historian, highlights Burnham’s skyscraper architecture, and photos and three-dimensional “scenes” illustrating the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps and recreation in the Lagoons round out the exhibition.
Burnham’s Backyard opens May 4. The Eklund History Center is open Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sundays from 1–4 p.m. and by appointment. Admission is free. Call 847.835.0040 for details or to make an appointment. Group tours are welcome.