May 17th, 2013Filed under: Collections, Exhibitions
Although women’s wear was the predominant feature of the Ebony Fashion Fair, Mrs. Eunice Johnson also introduced the latest designs in menswear, including a 1972 sequined evening suit by Guy Laroche. Prior to exhibition, the garment required careful assessment and conservation.
Behind-the-scenes photographs by CHM staff > Read the rest of this entry
May 16th, 2013Filed under: Stories
May 2013: Charlene Mires. Capital of the World: The Race to Host the United Nations. New York: New York University Press (2013).
When New York was chosen as headquarters for the United Nations, it became the putative capital of the world. Chicago had also been a contender along with San Francisco and Philadelphia. No surprises there, but the Black Hills of South Dakota? The Michigan and Ontario twin towns of Sault Sainte Marie? The placement of the United Nations was a key post-war decision that, until this book appeared, had dropped out of view. Where else will you be able to read about small-town hucksters and polished diplomats all in the same astonishing story?
> Get the behind-the-scenes story from author Charlene Mires
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May 14th, 2013Filed under: Exhibitions, Stories
Mah Jongg. M.J. Mahj. Whatever the name or style of play, the game of Mah Jongg brings people together.
My grandma used to play Mahj with “the girls.” As a child I remember playing in her hallway closet, stacking and clacking the ornate tiles, creating my own made-up games. I inherited her Mahj set. Amazingly, it still has all of its 152 tiles, the back of each painted red with nail polish. Touching the tiles, I remember my grandma, the smell of her perfume, how her hands felt: her nails were always painted, and her hands were always soft. And I have finally learned how to play.
Mah Jongg is an ancient Chinese game made popular in America by Jewish women in the early twentieth century. This May, in conjunction with the Shalom Chicago exhibition, the Museum is celebrating the game. Together with the Chinese-American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC), a longtime community partner, we explore the cross-cultural love of Mahj and the memories the game can evoke.
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Mah Jongg set from the Chinese-American Museum of Chicago
All photographs courtesy of Ram and Soo Lon Moy