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Chicago

Richard Serra's 'Reading Cones' in Chicago's Grant Park.

11 Chicago Public Artworks You Didn't Know Existed

Daniel Hautzinger

Everyone knows the Picasso and the Bean, but there's a lot more outstanding public art waiting just around the corner in downtown Chicago. Discover ten works by some of the twentieth century's most famous artists, and a piece that was just removed from a major Chicago tourist attraction.
The Chicago River Tour with Geoffrey Baer. Photo: Ken Carl

Behind the Scenes with Geoffrey Baer

Daniel Hautzinger

Ever wondered how a PBS special gets made? It’s more painstaking than you may realize. Hours of work might yield only a few minutes of material included in the final program. Go behind the scenes of the filming of an upcoming Geoffrey Baer tour.
The unveiling of the Chicago Picasso. Photo: Courtesy DCASE

A "Colossal Booboo": The Incredible Story of the Chicago Picasso

Daniel Hautzinger

One of Chicago's most iconic emblems came out of an unlikely alliance between a gruff, conservative mayor and a sensuous, progressive artist. Through the mediation of a charming bon vivant architect, they changed the face of public art in America. 
James Beard. Photo: Reed College

Chicago Chefs on the Influence of James Beard

Daniel Hautzinger

The American Masters documentary James Beard: America's First Foodie explores the life of one of the most important figures in America's culinary revolution. A James Beard Award winner and nominee share Beard's influence on them and their favorite Beard recipe.
Joanne Froggatt as Mary Ann Cotton; H. H. Holmes. Photo: ©JustinSleePhotography2015/MASTERPIECE

Prodigies of Wickedness

Daniel Hautzinger

Masterpiece: Dark Angel follows the life of Mary Ann Cotton, Britain's first female serial killer. Chicago had its own "first": H. H. Holmes, America's first serial killer, otherwise known as "The Devil in the White City." Learn about the disputed mythology surrounding this shady figure.
A spread of black seasame kouign-amann, lychee-coconut tapioca, and chocolate-raspberry sablés by San Francisco baker Belinda Leong.

What the Culinary Elite Eats at the James Beard Awards

Daniel Hautzinger

The James Beard Awards, held last night in Chicago, are often called the Oscars of Food. If you're one of the acclaimed chefs serving food at the gala, what do you serve? We talked to three of the exceptional chefs at the gala while they prepared their dishes.

Drawing of a nuclear reactor based on Chicago Pile-1 from the 1944 patent application by inventors Enrico Fermi and Leo Szilard. (Image courtesy Argonne National Laboratory)

The Atomic Age's Beginnings on a Squash Court in Chicago

Daniel Hautzinger

75 years ago on December 2, scientists at the University of Chicago inaugurated the nuclear era by engineering the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. Learn about the origins of nuclear power and the upsides and downsides of its future.

An anti-German cartoon from World War I. Image courtesy Joseph Gustaitis

How World War I Transformed Chicago

Daniel Hautzinger

World War I helped trigger huge shifts in Chicago, with the rapid Americanization of Germans, an influx of African Americans, Mexicans, and single women, Prohibition, and more all occured or began because of developments during the Great War.
A mural in the Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen. (Ken Carl)

My Neighborhood: Pilsen

Daniel Hautzinger

“I believe if you connect people deeply enough to the experiences of others, they will have the opportunity to discover in themselves their potential to create change.” This could be the mission statement of WTTW's My Neighborhood: Pilsen initiative.
The Chicago Flag.

How Much Do You Know About the Chicago Flag?

Daniel Hautzinger

April 4th was the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the Chicago flag, which was rated the second-best city flag in the US in 2004. Did you know that not only do the stars have meaning, but also the colors and stripes?
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Hull House, Alice Hamilton, Jane Addams.

The Groundbreaking Women of Hull House

Daniel Hautzinger

Celebrate the pioneering achievements, landmark reforms, and impressive careers of some of the women who resided at Jane Addams' social-minded Hull House in the early twentieth century.
Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack.

"Where Is The Love": Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway's Collaborations

Daniel Hautzinger

Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly explores the career of singer and pianist Roberta Flack. Made famous by hits like "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," "Killing Me Softly With His Song," and "Feel Like Makin' Love," Flack is almost equally known for her collaborations with Chicago singer, arranger, and musician Donny Hathaway. The two recorded some of the most adored duets of all time, like "Where Is The Love" and "The Closer I Get To You." 

Unidentified Black Soldier with Cannons. (Library of Congress)

African Americans in Chicago During the Civil War

Daniel Hautzinger

During the Civil War, many freed slaves moved to Chicago, swelling the black population from around 600 at the beginning of the decade to 3,691 in 1870. A black professional class began to emerge while new churches and communities were built. 
A butterfly emerges from its chrysalis.

The Butterflies of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Daniel Hautzinger

The Judy Istock Butterfly Haven houses roughly 1,000 butterflies of over forty different species from around the globe at any one time. Doug Taron manages them all.
The first location of the Chicago Public Library, in a recommissioned water tank.

Out of the Ashes: The Birth of the Chicago Public Library

Daniel Hautzinger

The Chicago Public Library was founded in the wake of the Great Chicago Fire with an inventory of books donated from England and other countries. 
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