museum idea: give me feedback

[edsg25]

I have an idea for a Chicago museum and wonder what you guys think:

New York has its Ellis Island Museum. How very appropriate. New York was the gateway to America (Ellis Island in particular), so what better place to document that immigrant experience.

New York took on this role as the major east coast city, looking outward to the Atlantic. No US city has served as long as New York as where America looks out to the world.

Chicago, on the other hand, is the definitive American city. Of all our great cities (except for DC), it alone was more a product of a growing US than of European ambitions.

So why not honor our role as the most American of American cities (as NY honors it as the entrance point of immigration and St. Louis uses an arch to commemorate the gateway to the west) with a truly American institution:

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF CHICAGO

This museum would have wings dedicated to all aspects of US life: history, culture, government, topography/geography, peoples, patriotism, contributions to the world, and other such topics.

So many of Chicago's great museums are located along or near the lakefront. Spectacular those this setting is, it has caused a building overload in a place that should be kept green and open.

Therefore, I would place my museum (suggestion, that is) on the RIVERFRONT, not the lakefront (perhaps somewhere south of the Loop). It would provide just the type of spark the riverfront needs to accelerate its transformation into one of the world's great waterfronts.

Is there some duplication here with some of the museums in the Smithsonian? Sure, but Chicago's museum would be unique in its mission to present "all things Americana". And besides, nobody talked about duplication when Baltimore added its magnificent aquarium to a national scene of many aquariums. It became a huge tourist attraction and didn't prevent Atlanta from upping the ante with its brand new aquarium.

I really believe The American Museum of Chicago could be a real winner!

[UrbanSophist]

I'm always a fan of adding more museums to Chicago. And this could be a good idea. Though it doesn't necessarily have to be "Chicago" anymore than the Art Institute is, it still should somehow reflect the city's place in history.

Any ideas on how?

[forumly_chgoman]

I wonder would it make sense to include Americana but emphasize Chicago's contributions...that is maybe have Chicago's contributions as standout exhibits


ideas

Skyscrapers
architectural influence in general
Chiago's Jazz influence
Chciago's blues influence
Fermi's splitting the atom

just to name a few

of course there would also be general americana stuff....but maybe just emphasize the Chicago stuff

[svs]

Well for some of us living outside of Cook County, the idea that Chicago is a more "American" city than LA, Dallas, SF, Seattle, Twin Cities, Cincy, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, etc. is a little offensive. If you want to build your museum, there is definitely a place for a major expansion of the Chicago Historical Society which is a little sketchy in terms of telling the story of Chicago. A good model might be the Museum of Canadian Civilization in Ottawa which tells the story of Canada in chronologic order from early exploration to modern times. A similar museum starting with the French explorers, leading to Fort Dearborn, the prarie city and the rise of the modern metropolis with discussions of the Columbian, exposition, the Century of Progress, the Al Capone/gangster era, and Chicago contributions to architecture, music etc. might be pretty interesting. I would go.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by svs

Well for some of us living outside of Cook County, the idea that Chicago is a more "American" city than LA, Dallas, SF, Seattle, Twin Cities, Cincy, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, etc. is a little offensive. If you want to build your museum, there is definitely a place for a major expansion of the Chicago Historical Society which is a little sketchy in terms of telling the story of Chicago. A good model might be the Museum of Canadian Civilization in Ottawa which tells the story of Canada in chronologic order from early exploration to modern times. A similar museum starting with the French explorers, leading to Fort Dearborn, the prarie city and the rise of the modern metropolis with discussions of the Columbian, exposition, the Century of Progress, the Al Capone/gangster era, and Chicago contributions to architecture, music etc. might be pretty interesting. I would go.

offense aside, svs, Chicago has often been referred to as the "great American city"; it's hardly a term I made up for it. and the implication is not that it exceeds other cities in greatness more than it is the one big city that seems most American.

certainly its interior location has a lot to do with this. so does its development during non-colonial times, without the connection to Britain, France, or Spain that some of our coastal cities had. During the developing phases of our new nation, the South was a nation unto its own, so it would be tought for some to put a southern city on top of the "most American" list.

That Chicago developed such an important role in the developing US during both the 19th and 20th century, the definitive "middle man" between east and west, enhances the american argument.

At any rate, Chicago's American image is strong enough to make a link with this museum....just as Ellis Island is to NYC and probably more so than rock hall of fame connects to Cleveland (although Cleveland's connections must be recongnized).

By extending the them far beyond CHicago's contributions to the US, you create a setting that is inviting and stimulating for Americans and non-Americans alike.

[Ian604]

I'm in Chicago about once or twice a year. If this museum were there I'd drop a few bucks to check it out.

[Azn_chi_boi]

I would love if CHicago historical society becomes like the "Museum of Canadian Civilization in Ottawa"... or maybe make another museum on the western banks of the south branch of the Chicago.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by Ian604

I'm in Chicago about once or twice a year. If this museum were there I'd drop a few bucks to check it out.

Ian, thanks for the support. Would you consider paying me $15 admission charge now and I'll let you in for free when the museum opens?

[svs]

Originally Posted by edsg25

offense aside, svs, Chicago has often been referred to as the "great American city"; it's hardly a term I made up for it. and the implication is not that it exceeds other cities in greatness more than it is the one big city that seems most American.

certainly its interior location has a lot to do with this. so does its development during non-colonial times, without the connection to Britain, France, or Spain that some of our coastal cities had. During the developing phases of our new nation, the South was a nation unto its own, so it would be tought for some to put a southern city on top of the "most American" list.

That Chicago developed such an important role in the developing US during both the 19th and 20th century, the definitive "middle man" between east and west, enhances the american argument.

At any rate, Chicago's American image is strong enough to make a link with this museum....just as Ellis Island is to NYC and probably more so than rock hall of fame connects to Cleveland (although Cleveland's connections must be recongnized).

By extending the them far beyond CHicago's contributions to the US, you create a setting that is inviting and stimulating for Americans and non-Americans alike.

Careful of the boosterism. We're not talking about "greatness" whatever that means. Whoever referred to Chicago as "the great American city" was doing PR. Chicago is a great American city but it is no more characteristically "American" than any of the other cities and a few others mentioned. If you would like to duplicate some of the functions of the Smithsonian Inst. in Chicago, "why not", but don't justify it by claiming Chicago is more characteristically "American" than any other burg. As a matter of fact, Chicago's cosmopolitan charms make the city seem much more "European" to me than most of the Western cities. This is not a bad thing.

[ardecila]

Yeah - I'm not sure this idea is good the way you have framed it.

NY has the Ellis Island museum because Ellis Island was already there, and was already a symbol. The fact that its museum came to showcase more than simply the building itself, was a creative side effect.

Chicago, if we do something like NY, needs to find an existing symbol of Chicago that has national significance. But I think our buildings offer the same kind of thing. Chicago's skyscrapers have always been more about architecture than any other city's. New York has many gems, but its history of architecture has always been more about the stats than the style. NY has always cared more about the bang-for-the-buck than what is architecturally significant. It has many, many very tall buildings, although no record holders, and VOLUME, tons of it. Chicago, on the other hand, has a handful of very, very tall buildings, but a lot of smaller, very masterful and beautiful older ones. Our buildings are our greatest contribution to the nation, and I would appreciate it if they got a wider national audience.

Then again, architecture doesn't have the sort of mass appeal that an immigration museum does. Millions of people have genealogical ties to Ellis, which makes it an instant destination. The people who run the museum capitalized on that, and started to offer genealogical records, database booths, kiosks, etc. Ellis Island is something that is unique to NY, and if we want something as successful, we need not to look at representing things that are much, much bigger than we are, and find something we have that approaches the same sort of mass connection.

[UrbanSophist]

We have the Chicago River museum.

Maybe we should get a railroad museum? Do we have one of those yet? And whatever happened to the Al Capone museum in river north (before it was called river north)? I think a labor or a railroad museum would be well-suited to Chicago. Maybe a Dearborn Station museum that would have essentially the same function as Ellis Island? (Isn't that where a majority of immigrants came into Chicago?)

[wickedestcity]

rather than "The American Museum Of Chicago" ,how about
"The ALL American Museum Of Chicago" , a museum packed with "All American" things from classic cars to baseball,the typical bbq/picnic set up,,cartoons, rock and roll (elvis) etc.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by wickedestcity

rather than "The American Museum Of Chicago" ,how about
"The ALL American Museum Of Chicago" , a museum packed with "All American" things from classic cars to baseball,the typical bbq/picnic set up,,cartoons, rock and roll (elvis) etc.

wicked, all you've written would be totally consistent with the vision I had. Of course it wouldn't hurt to give it a "Chicago twist", although I would hope America would be the key point.

[ardecila]

Urban, railroads and labor are excellent ideas. As for Dearborn Station - it is underused currently, I agree, but making it into an immigration museum seems kinda farfetched when, at our peak, we had 7 or 8 other stations that immigrants could have arrived at.

Labor doesn't really have a very big symbol here, though, except for Haymarket Square, which is now replaced by the Randolph Street Overpass. Also, labor isn't really our "thing" as a country anymore, with a large amount of our factory jobs being replaced by lower-paying equivalents in Asia. We have an Illinois Labor History Society, but until today, I'd never heard of it. It could be a good idea, though, save it. Something should be done with all those old factories and warehouses other thasn loft conversions.

As for railroads - that's kinda dying, too. The South Loop used to be one gigantic railyard, 3 times as big as the one currently across the river. Now it's nothing. Freight rail continues to be important, but passenger rail is as good as dead. But if a museum were to be built here in Chicago, I'd put it smack-in-the-middle of the Riverside Park site. There's a 5-way junction there, the black jackknife bridge is a huge rail landmark, and there's a large yard right across the river. It's also within spitting distance of the Red Line subway portal and trains entering LaSalle Street, and you could even lower the abandoned half of the bridge and build a cool little tram that ferries people from Union Station. Baltimore was successful with their Baltimore and Ohio Railroad museum, which is a few blocks outside of downtown.

I think it's a money idea, except the Illinois Rail Museum out in Union might feel intruded upon. But really, not a lot of people go out there from Chicago who aren't dedicated train people. A centrally-located site would make a ton of money from people who aren't - tourists, everyday people - perhaps IRM could even operate it. I also don't know what the situation is, but they could have a rotating subsection of their collection on display at the downtown location, and then at the end of the month/week/2 weeks, they send those back and get something different. That way, the downtown site is different every time for visitors. Wow, this is sounding good, isn't it?

[wickedestcity]

Originally Posted by edsg25

wicked, all you've written would be totally consistent with the vision I had. Of course it wouldn't hurt to give it a "Chicago twist", although I would hope America would be the key point.

I think there might be a bigger difference then you think. like whether there would be exhibits dedicated to World War II or the civil war or all about president Washington or anything of that sort. While these types of exhibits are a part of America they don’t flow with the whole "All American" concept. Baseball on a lazy Sunday afternoon while the bbq is grilling or taking a cruise in your red 1967 mustang down lake shore drive to enjoy the scenery these are all American concepts. Think Archie comics or apple pie. Actually all of DC and Marvel comics are also All American. Chicago happens to have a lot of All American aspects worthy of exhibits. Wrigley field is about as all American as it get with baseball but again this might fall under baseball or Art Deco Skyscrapers and so on. The other thing is that the whole concept of “All American” has changed over the years and every generation American “pop culture” meant a dif thing while some things are timeless…..which actually might be a cool theme for the museum also, for example the all American thing that might not be so all American anymore would be the idea of going to the movies. Now it’s universally and internationally accepted as a form of entertainment. TV had its hey day too as did Radio shows like fiber miggi and molly or other old time radio shows. All things about the idea and the many manifestations of The American Dream might be an interesting exhibit. Some other ideas might be western, cartoons, detective stories, The Simpson’s, Mickey Mouse, Barbie, Babe Ruth, G.I. Joe, the blues(Chicago), Mickel Jackson, Gone with the wind, Michael Jordan(Chicago),Indiana Jones, sesame street, origami, Elvis, and other elements of all American pop couture ect. Etc.
These are things that I would thing an “ALL AMERICAN” museum would eibit while an American museum might exhibit other things like slavery in America or the constitution or things of this sort

[citygeek]

ed, I like your idea for a museum, and would love to see it in Chicago. However, if it comes to fruition, be prepared for an endless political firestorm about "whose" America is represented the most, and how.

It might be better, as some have suggested to massively expand the Chicago Historical Society, into, say, The Chicago Museum, with exhibits that exemplify Chicago's role as the archetypal Great American city (Mustang convertibles, fast food, the electric blues, even beach life , etc.). I haven't been to the CHS in many years, but I doubt it represents the whole broad sweep of Chicago/American civilization.

[svs]

Originally Posted by citygeek

ed, I like your idea for a museum, and would love to see it in Chicago. However, if it comes to fruition, be prepared for an endless political firestorm about "whose" America is represented the most, and how.

It might be better, as some have suggested to massively expand the Chicago Historical Society, into, say, The Chicago Museum, with exhibits that exemplify Chicago's role as the archetypal Great American city (Mustang convertibles, fast food, the electric blues, even beach life , etc.). I haven't been to the CHS in many years, but I doubt it represents the whole broad sweep of Chicago/American civilization.

In York England, there is a place called the York Castle Museum It's function is to illustrate how the life of ordinary Englishmen have changed over the past 400 years. It's arranged as kind of a walk through time showing the progress and interests of ordinary Englishmen as opposed to the story of Nobles, Kings, or heros. To my knowledge there really is no place like it in the USA. You might think along these lines. I suspect the Chicago Historical Society, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Cultural center, and the Chicago Public Library may have the start of material to exhibit, if anyone is really serious.

For INfo on the York Castle Museum.
http://www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/