Exploring Chicago History: 1856 Chicago History Museum Exhibitions - Essay Sample

Introduction

Chicago history museum was founded in the year 1856 with the aim of exploring and interpreting Chicago and the history of the United States using the museum's exhibitions (Xidis, 2010). The museum’s exhibitions tries to illuminate the city’s previous history, engage the museum visitors on the city’s current features and also illuminate the city’s bright future. The museum has numerous exhibitions that feature different areas and aspects of American history, for example, culture, politics, and technology. The exhibition has significantly helped to ensure that generations are well informed on the featured areas and aspects. This paper intends to discuss and analyze the Chicago crossroad exhibit

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Chicago: Crossroads of America

The Chicago: Crossroads of America have provided a great opportunity for people to explore the new things in the city’s history and the artifacts that reflect on the peculiarities that represent the Chicago story. The exhibition usually embraces the whole history of Chicago, by pointing out the most key eras of Chicago that made the city to be recognized globally (Xidis, 2010). The exhibit also acts as an incubator of new industries, ideas, and amusements that maintain the country's growth.

How the Information in the Exhibit Was Presented, and it’s Effectiveness in Communicating the Themes of the Exhibit

Information in the Chicago: Crossroads of America exhibit was presented in different forms in order to attain its needed effectiveness. Some of the common ways in which the information was presented include, first through the use of artifacts that have an essential meaning to the American population. For instance, the instruments used by different American cultures. Secondly, dramatic and historical readings on various topics of key concern to the city, for instance, the history of blues and jazz music, and the story of the American fire. Thirdly, through audio and visual techniques. For instance, listening to vintage music and watching dialogs. The information being showcases in the exhibit was very effective in communicating the intended themes due to various reasons that include; first, the viewers were able to understand the meaning and the story of each element incorporated in the Chicago: Crossroads of America exhibit. Secondly, having different ways of exhibiting the information enabled the viewers to easily understand the themes.

The Degree That the Exhibit Enhanced Your Historical Knowledge of the Period

The Chicago: Crossroads of America exhibit significantly enhanced my knowledge of the historical era or period. This was achieved through various ways that include; first, the exhibit enabled me to understand the background or origin of different essential historical components such as the origin of music and different technologies. This information is essential in enabling people to appreciate the inventors of the historical component. Secondly, the exhibit has also helped me to identify the challenges that the people in that period faced as they were trying to work on various historical components that were essential to that period and to the future. Thirdly, the exhibit enabled me to identify the social, economic, and political structure that motivated the people to invent and develop various historical features or components.

Conclusion

Although there are numerous exhibits in the Chicago history museum, the Chicago Crossroads of America exhibit is considered to be one of the key exhibit that has a significant meaning to the museum and the viewers. The exhibit usually showcases different historical components that made the city and the entire country to be recognized across the globe. Some of these historical components include innovations, artifacts, audio-visual works, and authored documents. During my visit to the facility, the exhibit played a significant role in enhancing my historical knowledge of that era.

References

Xidis, R. I. (2010). Telling stories, making connections, and striving for balance in designing museum exhibition experiences: A case study at the Chicago History Museum (Doctoral dissertation, Northern Illinois University). https://search.proquest.com/openview/2696008e4832482618d5b78f207fe06e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=yhttp://www.chicagohistory.org/