Burnham Exhibit Open at Eklund History Center
Posted on May 26, 2009 in categories Events, Press Releases
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- Burnham’s Backyard Open in Glencoe Features Burnham Designs, Skokie Lagoons (May 24, 2009)
Daniel Burnham and his (and Edward Bennett’s) 1909 Plan of Chicago impacted the entire northern Illinois region. Chicago’s open lakefront, the transportation system of highways and railroads around the region and the Michigan Avenue bridge are existing symbols of what was planned.
But the 1909 Plan also affected the suburbs. Burnham’s emphasis on having a circle of green forest preserves around the region was the impetus for today’s Cook County Forest Preserves. The Glencoe Historical Society’s newest exhibit, Burnham’s Backyard, looks more closely at forest preserves’ development and hones in on the Skokie Lagoons, Glencoe’s neighbor to the west.
The exhibit features information about the Plan and artifacts from seven buildings that Burnham designed, some in conjunction with John W. Root. All the artifacts are on loan from Tim Samuelson, Chicago’s cultural historian. In addition, the story of the Lagoons is told through timelines, pictures and reminiscences including three-dimensional settings of recreational use—picnic, biking, bird watching—and oversize photos from when the Lagoons were dug in the 1930s.
The exhibit will be at the Eklund History Center, 377 Park Ave., Glencoe until Sept. 15. Admission is free. The museum is open from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Wednesdays and 1–4 p.m. Sundays or by appointment. Groups are welcome and docent lectures on the exhibit are available. Call 847.835.0040 for appointments or with questions.