January-February 2023 Bulletin of the Hyde Park Historical Society

Upcoming Events

Hyde Park Book Club Committee:  

Carol Vieth

Michal Safar

Dottie Jeffries

Contact: BookClub@HydeParkHistory.org

Web Site: https://www.hydeparkhistory.org/book-club

RECENT EVENTS

The January book club meeting featured a discussion of Who is the City For?  by author Blair Kamin and photographer Lee Bey.   From his high-profile battles with Donald Trump to his insightful celebrations of Frank Lloyd Wright and front-page takedowns of Chicago mega-projects like Lincoln Yards, Pulitzer Prize winner (for Criticism) Blair Kamin has long informed readers with his commentary. Kamin’s newest collection, Who Is the City For? does more than gather fifty-five of his most notable Chicago Tribune columns from the past decade: it pairs those words with striking new images by photographer and architecture critic Lee Bey, Kamin’s former rival at the Chicago Sun-Times.  Together, Kamin and Bey discussed the architecture of Chicago that reaches beyond its glamorous downtown and dramatic buildings to its culturally diverse neighborhoods, including modest structures associated with storied figures from the city’s Black history, such as Emmett Till.

The discussion was recorded and can be viewed here.

On January 22, 2023 the Hyde Park Historical Society held an Open House to celebrate the past year’s activities around the 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted.  The Society welcomed members of the Washington Park Camera Club and Julia Bachrach for a discussion of South Park Then and Now – the video photo essay by the WPCC – along with tours of Jackson, Washington and Midway Plaisance Parks by Julia Bachrach.  A summary of the activities is available for download here.   The members of the WPCC also signed copies of the photos included in South Park Then and Now for donation to the Historical Society archives.  A catalog of the donation is available for download here.  The Olmsted 200 activities were sponsored by the Hyde Park Historical Society and funded through a grant from The Terra Foundation of American Art under the Art Design Chicago Now initiative.

In 2022 the Hyde Park Historical Society undertook a project to archive documents related to the UChicago Folk Fest – part of Hyde Park history since 1961.  This February 10, 2023 the Hyde Park Historical Society was present during the Folk Fest to publicize the archive and collect video memories and oral histories to add to the archive.   Susan Weber, former Folk Fest president, stopped by to record her comments to the Folk Fest History project.  When she did, she realized that the poster we chose to feature on the submission page of our site contained calligraphy by her!

The project, work in progress, will continue to add video memories and digitize memorabilia, and can be viewed on the HPHS web site.

Preservation News

Promontory Point Awarded Preliminary Chicago City Landmark Status!

From the Promontory Point Conservancy:

·      On January 12, 2023 the Commission on Chicago Landmarks granted preliminary landmark recommendation for Promontory Point.  Multiple commissioners, Alderman Hairston, Alderman Garza, Chicago parks historian Julia Bacharach, and other speakers mentioned the enthusiasm and passion for preservation that was evident through the 600 letters they received from Point lovers.

·      On February 15 the Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District unanimously approved full landmark designation for Promontory Point.

·      Next steps: The City Council Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards will vote on whether to recommend the designation to the full city council for final action. 

·      Official Chicago Landmark status for the Point will ensure that the city will follow a preservation-based approach to the Point and prevent the demolition of the limestone revetment in favor of replacement with concrete.

·      The Promontory Point Conservancy will continue to work to ensure that all responsible parties adhere to the preservation standards inherent in Official Chicago Landmark status.

For updated information and to be put on the Conservancy mailing list please go to the Promontory Point Conservancy website.

A Special Thank You!

A Special Thank You! is in store to electrician John Wills and board members Jerry Levy, Carol Vieth and Michal Safar who dedicated countless hours over the past year to oversee electrical upgrades needed at our headquarters.

and now a word from our sponsors

Hyde Park Historical Society Annual Fund and Membership Drive

In December HPHS kicked off the Annual Fund and Membership drive which featured rebuilding the HPHS website, re-opening the HPHS building and reaffirmation of the Society’s core mission.

To read about our 2022 accomplishments and find information on how to donate and join click here.

 HPHS Memberships

The Hyde Park Historical Society strives to make programs and activities as accessible to the community as possible, which means that the website, newsletter, archives, open houses and nearly all programs are free and open to the public. To make this possible- we need your support!

To Become a Member or Renew a Membership or Reinstate a Lapsed Membership:

1. Visit www.HydeParkHistory.org

2. Go to “Support Us” and then “Become a Member”

3. Choose whether you would like an Individual or Family membership

Or go directly to: https://www.hydeparkhistory.org/become-a-hphs-member