Elmhurst Historical Museum Announces Schedule of Upcoming Events

Submitted by the Elmhurst Historical Museum. Photo: Lewis W. Hine (American, 1874-1940). LITTLE SPINNER IN MILL, AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, 1909. Gelatin Silver Print. George Eastman House. Gift of the Photo League, New York; ex-collection Lewis Wickes Hine.

DECEMBER

FREE Holiday Event
Jolly Old St. Nicholas Concert
St. Nicholas Eve, Friday, December 5, 2014
7:00 - 8:15 p.m., FREE
Location: Buik Recital Hall in Irion Hall, Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst

Celebrate St. Nicholas Day and the Elmhurst area’s German roots! Now in its 78th year, Elmhurst’s own Damenchor or Women’s Chorus will perform German carols and the audience can join in a sing-along. A first-person history presenter dressed in festive St. Nick attire will share the traditions of St. Nicholas Day. Photo opportunities with St. Nick available and hot cocoa provided. Children are encouraged to wear their pajamas. Presented by Elmhurst Historical Museum. More info: www.elmhursthistory.org or 630-833-1457


JANUARY

New Traveling Exhibit
“Let Children Be Children: Lewis Wickes Hine’s Crusade Against Child Labor”
January 9 – April 5, 2015

A telling look at the industrialization of America, this photography exhibition from the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY reveals the circumstances that poor working children endured until legislation against child labor prevailed as late as 1938. Lewis Wickes Hine (American, 1874-1940) was a sociologist whose photographs captured his abiding concern for children, immigrants, and working-class people. He was hired by the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) in 1906 to document the harsh conditions in which children worked. Hine spent ten years photographing in the canneries, coal mines, cotton mills, farms, and sweatshops common during the early 20th century. Through the use of photography, Hine and the NCLC gained the attention of government officials and aroused public sentiment against child labor practices in the United States.

Hours: Tues.-Sun. 1:00-5:00 p.m. Admission: FREE
Location: Elmhurst Historical Museum, 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst
More info: www.elmhursthistory.org or 630-833-1457

Friday, January 23, 2014
Gallery Talk at Elmhurst Historical Museum
4:00 p.m. FREE

Drop by the gallery and take a deeper look at the Elmhurst Historical Museum’s current exhibit, “Let Children Be Children: Lewis Wickes Hine’s Crusade Against Child Labor,” with historical perspective provided by labor historian and folk musician Bucky Halker.

Location: Elmhurst Historical Museum, 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst
More info: www.elmhursthistory.org or 630-833-1457

Saturday, January 24, 2014
Lecture Series
Looking and Learning: How Lewis Hine Came to Photograph Children
2 p.m. FREE

In this illustrated talk, Carl Fuldner, a photography specialist and instructor in the University of Chicago’s Art History Department, will discuss Lewis Hine’s life and influences, and his legacy for photography. Highlighting Hine’s background as a progressive educator, Fuldner will examine how Hine transformed the camera into a tool for affecting social change. Visit the exhibit before the lecture. The Museum will be open from 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Location: Elmhurst Historical Museum Education Center, 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst
More info: www.elmhursthistory.org or 630-833-1457


FEBRUARY

Thursday, February 12, 2014
Lecture Series
Children at Work: The History of Child Labor in the U.S.
7:00 p.m. FREE

Join history professors Erik Gellman (Roosevelt University, Chicago) and Katherine Turk (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) who will discuss turn-of-the century efforts to document and regulate child labor in the United States. Discover how unions, muckraking journalists and other reformers exposed exploitation and called for new rights and protections at work. Visit the exhibit before the lecture. The Museum will be open from1:00-7:00 p.m.

Location: Elmhurst Historical Museum Education Center, 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst
More info: www.elmhursthistory.org or 630-833-1457

Friday, February 20, 2014
Gallery Talk at Elmhurst Historical Museum
4:00 p.m. FREE

Explore the poignant photographs in the traveling exhibition from George Eastman House, “Let Children Be Children: Lewis Wickes Hine’s Crusade Against Child Labor,” with special guest Carl Fuldner, photography specialist and instructor at University of Chicago.

Location: Elmhurst Historical Museum, 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst
More info: www.elmhursthistory.org or 630-833-1457

GRAND OPENING: New Elmhurst History Exhibit!
“By All Accounts: The Story of Elmhurst “
Opens February 28, 2015 - Ongoing

Be among the first to experience the history of Elmhurst in a whole new way through a dynamic and interactive new exhibit. By All Accounts: The Story of Elmhurst takes visitors on a journey of discovery that shows how Elmhurst has changed and grown over the past 165 years. The Elmhurst Historical Museum’s entire second floor gallery will be transformed into an innovative exhibit that tells the story of Elmhurst from its earliest days to the present. Visitors will enjoy thought-provoking displays that combine artifacts with the latest in museum technology to create an engaging and informative experience.

• A large-scale photograph of York Street in the 1920s comes to life
• An interactive table-top map allows time travel through the city
• Kinetic-type graphics and touch screen displays
• A mini-theatre experience showcasing Elmhurst’s people and places

Join us for a Public Grand Opening Weekend with special activities and refreshments onFebruary 28 and March 1 – FREE ADMISSION.

Location: Elmhurst Historical Museum, 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst
Hours: Tues.-Sun. 1:00-5:00 p.m. Admission: FREE
More info: www.elmhursthistory.org or 630-833-1457