The Richard H. Driehaus Museum

10/22/2021

The Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago's (CAIC) recent concert in the Nickerson Ballroom featured a wide-ranging set of compositions from American immigrants and migrants who journeyed from the American South to points north, east, and west. It was a night of beauty, hope and poignancy.

Starting tonight at 7 pm CDT and through the 30th, you can stream the concert as a benefit for the Driehaus Museum. Watch, listen, enjoy, and please help support our work, dedicated to the care of our historic building and our collection and to elevating the work of emerging artists. Link here for concert and donations 👉http://ow.ly/Llpr50GwkRr

The Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago's (CAIC) recent concert in the Nickerson Ballroom featured a wide-ranging set of compositions from American immigrants and migrants who journeyed from the American South to points north, east, and west. It was a night of beauty, hope and poignancy.

Starting tonight at 7 pm CDT and through the 30th, you can stream the concert as a benefit for the Driehaus Museum. Watch, listen, enjoy, and please help support our work, dedicated to the care of our historic building and our collection and to elevating the work of emerging artists. Link here for concert and donations 👉http://ow.ly/Llpr50GwkRr

10/21/2021

To say that hosting tea parties at the turn of the last century was work is an understatement. You needed a lot of help, the right dress, the right amount of caffeine and the right pot to serve it in. Read about how our Gorham Manufacturing Company Coffee Pot, on view in the Sitting Room, telegraphed its owner’s sophistication and wealth in our latest blog post, here 👉 http://ow.ly/BhnV50GvHgN

#design #19thcentury #gorham #coffee #tea #caffeine #party #entertaining #chicago #gildedage #mansion #sittingroom

Gorham Manufacturing Company Coffee Pot
Mixed metal and ivory
1 3x 7 x 7 x 5 inches
Collection of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum

To say that hosting tea parties at the turn of the last century was work is an understatement. You needed a lot of help, the right dress, the right amount of caffeine and the right pot to serve it in. Read about how our Gorham Manufacturing Company Coffee Pot, on view in the Sitting Room, telegraphed its owner’s sophistication and wealth in our latest blog post, here 👉 http://ow.ly/BhnV50GvHgN

#design #19thcentury #gorham #coffee #tea #caffeine #party #entertaining #chicago #gildedage #mansion #sittingroom

Gorham Manufacturing Company Coffee Pot
Mixed metal and ivory
1 3x 7 x 7 x 5 inches
Collection of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum

10/20/2021

One question we get asked all the time is whether the Nickerson Mansion is haunted. The answer? Maybe— just recently one of our colleagues felt an invisible hand on her shoulder.

More than that though, in every room, staircase, and hallway, we have all felt the spirit of George A. Schastey, William August Fiedler, R. W. Bates, and the craftsmen and laborers whose meticulous handiwork transformed the Nickerson Mansion from a home into a masterpiece.

Whether you like tricks or treats, join us for both on the eve of All Hallows' Eve, Saturday, October 30th, from 4:30-6:30.🎃

#halloween #trickortreat #haunted #spooky #Schastey #fiedler #bates #decorativearts #late19thcentury #gildedage #mansion #chicago #design

One question we get asked all the time is whether the Nickerson Mansion is haunted. The answer? Maybe— just recently one of our colleagues felt an invisible hand on her shoulder.

More than that though, in every room, staircase, and hallway, we have all felt the spirit of George A. Schastey, William August Fiedler, R. W. Bates, and the craftsmen and laborers whose meticulous handiwork transformed the Nickerson Mansion from a home into a masterpiece.

Whether you like tricks or treats, join us for both on the eve of All Hallows' Eve, Saturday, October 30th, from 4:30-6:30.🎃

#halloween #trickortreat #haunted #spooky #Schastey #fiedler #bates #decorativearts #late19thcentury #gildedage #mansion #chicago #design

10/18/2021

Viennese artist Koloman Moser died #otd in 1918. A multi-hyphenate designer and artist, his graphic design work was contemporaneous with --and draws comparisons to-- the work of William H. Bradley and the artists affiliated with PAN.

In 1897, Moser served as a co-founder of the Vienna Secession along with progressive artists and architects like Gustav Klimt, Josef Hoffmann, and Joseph Maria Olbrich. Moser's illustrations were regularly featured in the Secession’s own avant-garde art journal, “Ver Sacrum.” Most famously, perhaps, he co-founded the Wiener Werkstätte, a revolutionary decorative arts collective, with Hoffmann and financer and patron Fritz Waerndorfer. It took Vienna by storm and sought to combine functionality with aesthetics.

Moser’s meticulous handling of color, texture, and light can be observed in this iridescent glass vase on view in our Front Parlor. Three elongated glass blobs drip vertically down to the base. Blobs like this are often found in glassware, as elaborate decoration and also in lieu of a handle, as a way to hold the object.

#design #moser #glass #vienna #werkstaette #late19thcentury #architect #decorativearts #early20thcentury #secession #versacrum #klimt #hoffmann #olbrich

Object Description:
Koloman Moser
Vase, late 19th, early 20th century
5 7/16 x 5 1/8 x 5 1/4 in.

Image Credit:
Michael Tropea

Viennese artist Koloman Moser died #otd in 1918. A multi-hyphenate designer and artist, his graphic design work was contemporaneous with --and draws comparisons to-- the work of William H. Bradley and the artists affiliated with PAN.

In 1897, Moser served as a co-founder of the Vienna Secession along with progressive artists and architects like Gustav Klimt, Josef Hoffmann, and Joseph Maria Olbrich. Moser's illustrations were regularly featured in the Secession’s own avant-garde art journal, “Ver Sacrum.” Most famously, perhaps, he co-founded the Wiener Werkstätte, a revolutionary decorative arts collective, with Hoffmann and financer and patron Fritz Waerndorfer. It took Vienna by storm and sought to combine functionality with aesthetics.

Moser’s meticulous handling of color, texture, and light can be observed in this iridescent glass vase on view in our Front Parlor. Three elongated glass blobs drip vertically down to the base. Blobs like this are often found in glassware, as elaborate decoration and also in lieu of a handle, as a way to hold the object.

#design #moser #glass #vienna #werkstaette #late19thcentury #architect #decorativearts #early20thcentury #secession #versacrum #klimt #hoffmann #olbrich

Object Description:
Koloman Moser
Vase, late 19th, early 20th century
5 7/16 x 5 1/8 x 5 1/4 in.

Image Credit:
Michael Tropea

10/14/2021

Didn’t get enough of the #greatchicagofire commemorations last week? Here's one cool fact you may still not know: Twelve days after the fire, the debris was still too hot to touch.

We’ve got a few spots left on our walking tours scheduled this week and next! Here are a few things we’ve heard about the tour so far:

🔥“Our guide was great! Very knowledgeable, easy to listen to, and friendly.”
🔥“I loved [seeing] the Billiards Room and the fireproofing details at The Driehaus Museum.”
🔥“I learned a lot…and can’t wait to visit the Museum.”

As a reminder, the tour ticket comes with a free pass to the Museum. For more information: ▶️http://ow.ly/iHY650GrAYS

Any questions? Email us👉 [email protected]

Photo Detail:
Inside the Nickerson Mansion Billiards Room, before the tour
Guide Ryan McKibben, ready to 'inspire,' escorts his group outside

10/12/2021

One of our 2020 A Tale of Today Emerging Artists, Maryam Taghavi has a new solo exhibition at Chicago Artists Coalition through November 11. Taghavi’s multitude of paintings exploit a single character; a sigil, an occult letter-form believed to cast a spell upon its viewer. Taghavi joined our other Fellows in conversation last spring. You can watch that conversation ▶️
http://ow.ly/GlTb50GqmwA

Image Credit:
Maryam Taghavi, A Flight into the Abyss, 2019.
Acrylic glass, fabric print, digital print on fabric.
Installation dimension: 20 x 10 ft.

One of our 2020 A Tale of Today Emerging Artists, Maryam Taghavi has a new solo exhibition at Chicago Artists Coalition through November 11. Taghavi’s multitude of paintings exploit a single character; a sigil, an occult letter-form believed to cast a spell upon its viewer. Taghavi joined our other Fellows in conversation last spring. You can watch that conversation ▶️
http://ow.ly/GlTb50GqmwA

Image Credit:
Maryam Taghavi, A Flight into the Abyss, 2019.
Acrylic glass, fabric print, digital print on fabric.
Installation dimension: 20 x 10 ft.

10/08/2021

It’s #🔥factsfriday and today is the official 150th anniversary of the start of the #greatchicagofire. At last night’s lecture with Professor Carl Smith, we learned that, incredibly, even though residents were given one-way tickets to leave the City after the Fire, the City’s population actually *increased* between 1871 and 1872. This is a page from the 1870 Census—look for the asterisks to see a few famous Chicagoans, including Samuel, Matilda, and Roland Nickerson. Also here are Joseph T. Ryerson, whose iron store burned down--but who stayed and rebuilt, and William Ogden, the City's first mayor, who left after the Fire for New York City.

Buy a signed copy of Smith's book 👇http://ow.ly/lVe350GoyD7

#Nickerson #chicago #design #gildedage #ryerson #ogden #architecture #history #newberrylibrary

It’s #🔥factsfriday and today is the official 150th anniversary of the start of the #greatchicagofire. At last night’s lecture with Professor Carl Smith, we learned that, incredibly, even though residents were given one-way tickets to leave the City after the Fire, the City’s population actually *increased* between 1871 and 1872. This is a page from the 1870 Census—look for the asterisks to see a few famous Chicagoans, including Samuel, Matilda, and Roland Nickerson. Also here are Joseph T. Ryerson, whose iron store burned down--but who stayed and rebuilt, and William Ogden, the City's first mayor, who left after the Fire for New York City.

Buy a signed copy of Smith's book 👇http://ow.ly/lVe350GoyD7

#Nickerson #chicago #design #gildedage #ryerson #ogden #architecture #history #newberrylibrary

10/07/2021

During the Great Chicago Fire, the Nickersons' neighbors, Lambert and Anna Tree, fled the Fire and helped others get to safety. Bring your kids to the Museum this Saturday for Story Time and meet Mrs. Anna Tree and Mrs. Catherine O'Leary.

Reserve your tickets 👉http://ow.ly/QXVT50GnWPj

During the Great Chicago Fire, the Nickersons' neighbors, Lambert and Anna Tree, fled the Fire and helped others get to safety. Bring your kids to the Museum this Saturday for Story Time and meet Mrs. Anna Tree and Mrs. Catherine O'Leary.

Reserve your tickets 👉http://ow.ly/QXVT50GnWPj

10/06/2021

Have you heard the story of young Justin Butterfield and his escape from the #greatchicagofire? In a letter to a friend, written just days after the Fire, he included a sketch of his family making their way to safety. That’s him at the end, leading his pet goat out of harm’s way. Get to know Justin’s story this Saturday at 9:30 am or 11 am during our Story Time event, where young visitors will also meet historical figures Catherine O’Leary and Anna Tree. Reserve your tickets here 👉http://ow.ly/4zN050Gn94Z

#chicago #history #oleary #petgoat

Image Credit:
Chicago History Museum
ICHi-063792

Have you heard the story of young Justin Butterfield and his escape from the #greatchicagofire? In a letter to a friend, written just days after the Fire, he included a sketch of his family making their way to safety. That’s him at the end, leading his pet goat out of harm’s way. Get to know Justin’s story this Saturday at 9:30 am or 11 am during our Story Time event, where young visitors will also meet historical figures Catherine O’Leary and Anna Tree. Reserve your tickets here 👉http://ow.ly/4zN050Gn94Z

#chicago #history #oleary #petgoat

Image Credit:
Chicago History Museum
ICHi-063792

10/05/2021

Historian Carl Smith will be our guest for our virtual #greatchicagofire lecture this Thursday at 6 pm CDT. Smith, who has written the definitive book on the Fire, came from New York City to Chicago 50 years ago to teach at Northwestern University and thus began a storied academic career in which Chicago became a focus.

As he put it, if you’re interested in late 19th century America, you’ve got to examine Chicago. A few years ago, he turned his attention to the Great Chicago Fire. Understanding what happened during the Fire—rather than what it was about—required understanding the details of peoples’ lives. You’ll hear much more on Thursday night, as Smith trains his focus on the the people and places in the neighborhood of the Driehaus Museum. Tickets available 👉http://ow.ly/Gf0c50GmvUo
👉Get a signed copy of his book http://ow.ly/Pstq50GmvUp

Historian Carl Smith will be our guest for our virtual #greatchicagofire lecture this Thursday at 6 pm CDT. Smith, who has written the definitive book on the Fire, came from New York City to Chicago 50 years ago to teach at Northwestern University and thus began a storied academic career in which Chicago became a focus.

As he put it, if you’re interested in late 19th century America, you’ve got to examine Chicago. A few years ago, he turned his attention to the Great Chicago Fire. Understanding what happened during the Fire—rather than what it was about—required understanding the details of peoples’ lives. You’ll hear much more on Thursday night, as Smith trains his focus on the the people and places in the neighborhood of the Driehaus Museum. Tickets available 👉http://ow.ly/Gf0c50GmvUo
👉Get a signed copy of his book http://ow.ly/Pstq50GmvUp

10/01/2021

#🔥FactsFriday After the Great Chicago Fire, there was a political party called the “Union Fire Proof” party. The idea was a party free of the usual Republican/Democrat divisions dedicated to rebuilding the City of Chicago. It included Joseph Medill for Mayor and Lambert Tree, one of the Nickerson’s neighbors, for circuit court judge. The Fire Proof Party managed a win, but not before being accused of going the “Chicago way”—getting voters out early—and often.

Visit us to reserve a ticket for our #greatchicagofire programming, featuring lectures, kids' events and a walking tour that includes a free pass to the Museum! 👇http://ow.ly/LQaj50GknzI

#fireproof #design #chicago #history #walkingtour

Image Credit:
Chicago History Museum

#🔥FactsFriday After the Great Chicago Fire, there was a political party called the “Union Fire Proof” party. The idea was a party free of the usual Republican/Democrat divisions dedicated to rebuilding the City of Chicago. It included Joseph Medill for Mayor and Lambert Tree, one of the Nickerson’s neighbors, for circuit court judge. The Fire Proof Party managed a win, but not before being accused of going the “Chicago way”—getting voters out early—and often.

Visit us to reserve a ticket for our #greatchicagofire programming, featuring lectures, kids' events and a walking tour that includes a free pass to the Museum! 👇http://ow.ly/LQaj50GknzI

#fireproof #design #chicago #history #walkingtour

Image Credit:
Chicago History Museum

09/30/2021

Strangers in a Strange Land Trailer

Just announced! Limited tickets available! On October 8th, the first night the flames of the Great Chicago Fire lit up the city, we are hosting an evening of music by Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago called “Strangers in a Strange Land.” Inspired by the immigrants and migrants who rebuilt Chicago after the Fire—including our very own Nickerson Mansion—the program will feature the music of a diverse and wide-ranging group of composers, and will take place in the intimate setting of the Nickerson Ballroom.

Watch the trailer 👉https://youtu.be/X_u5NIHcIJ8

Reserve tickets👉 http://ow.ly/F38M50GjNxP

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire with Strangers in a Strange Land, a CAIC concert celebrating the stories of immigrants and migrants.

09/29/2021

This lithograph by Toulouse Lautrec, published in PAN, Vol. I, Issue 3, 1895 (and now on view), was deemed ‘too French’ for the German-born publication, and PAN’s editor was forced out as a result. As Michael Workman explained in last week’s lecture, this is an emblematic tale in the history of avant-garde artists’ publications. Curious for more? Email us at [email protected] to find out how to access the recording of the lecture. Workman’s Bridge Journal is on sale here 👉http://ow.ly/Unch50GiRiI

Stay tuned for more programming (including a hands-on workshop) around the evolution and revolution of print culture with PAN and The Chap-Book as the springboards. Coming in November!

Image credit:
Comte Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Mademoiselle Marcelle Lender en Buste/
Bust of Miss Marcelle Lender.
Color lithograph.
Published in PAN
Volume I, Issue 3, 1895.

This lithograph by Toulouse Lautrec, published in PAN, Vol. I, Issue 3, 1895 (and now on view), was deemed ‘too French’ for the German-born publication, and PAN’s editor was forced out as a result. As Michael Workman explained in last week’s lecture, this is an emblematic tale in the history of avant-garde artists’ publications. Curious for more? Email us at [email protected] to find out how to access the recording of the lecture. Workman’s Bridge Journal is on sale here 👉http://ow.ly/Unch50GiRiI

Stay tuned for more programming (including a hands-on workshop) around the evolution and revolution of print culture with PAN and The Chap-Book as the springboards. Coming in November!

Image credit:
Comte Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Mademoiselle Marcelle Lender en Buste/
Bust of Miss Marcelle Lender.
Color lithograph.
Published in PAN
Volume I, Issue 3, 1895.