American History Wing
- In January 2007, the Tawani Foundation made a major commitment to the Chicago History Museum in the form of a $1,000,000 pledge. This five-year Project Grant will be used to build the new American History Gallery and to support work on the American History Wing.
- The American History Wing will generously be named for Naphtali Ben Jacob Pritzker, a Jewish immigrant from Russia who arrived in Chicago at age 10 in 1881. After teaching himself English by reading the Chicago Tribune, he eventually opened his own law practice in 1902. The Chicago History Museum will describe the life of Mr. Pritzker in the exhibition.
- The theme for the new wing, Search for Freedom, will help tell the story of those who came and continue to come to this country in hopes of a better life. With this new Gallery, the Museum will further enhance its ability to reach out to the community and share stories of the contributions made by immigrants like Mr. Pritzker – citizens and statesmen who helped make the United States the country it is today.
- Tawani Foundation is very proud of its relationship with the Chicago History Museum and cherishes this opportunity to help spread the message of freedom throughout the community. The new wing is scheduled to open on July 4, 2010.
- In addition to this new commitment, Tawani Foundation made a $250,000 Preservation Grant in support of the Reinventing the Chicago Historical Society capital campaign. The Preservation Grant more specifically included support of the public reopening of the Diorama Hall, kindly renamed in honor of the Tawani Foundation in September 2006.
- In 2008, the Chicago History Museum reported high audience and membership levels, its second full year open since it reopened on September 30, 2006 after a major renovation. CHM had the second largest attendance among the Museums in the Park (Chicago’s 10 world-class cultural attractions known as the Museums In the Park (MIP)) which was at 266,000 visitors, up 32% from 2007.
Engaging audiences with history through a carefully designed installation, the Chicago History Museum will invite visitors to explore American history with new perspectives in mind. By highlighting content relating to people, experiences, places, and events in greater depth, and exploring American history through personal discovery and multiple perspectives, the new exhibition aims to appeal to diverse audiences across a range of individual learning styles and interests.
