Auto Historica XVI returns to Museum grounds on Sunday, September 22nd from 12 to 3 p.m. This year's theme is "Rockin' the 60s" and features cool American and foreign cars such as the Mustang, the Corvair, the Camaro Rally Sport, and the Alfa Romeo This is a great event for all ages! Bring the kids, stroll around at your leisure, and chat with the owners. Thank you to our sponsor Wilmette Auto Body for their generous support!
Auto Historica returns!
New Exhibit Opening: Wilmette in Photographs, 1850-1950
We hope you’ll join us on Sunday, October 6th from 1 to 3 p.m. to help celebrate the opening of our exciting new exhibit, which explores a century of photographs of Wilmette people and places. Antique cameras, glass photographic plates, tintypes, stereo cards, and other unusual artifacts from the Museum’s collection join dozens of rarely seen photos in the main gallery to illustrate how developments in camera technology, and the emergence of fads like the “real photo postcard” craze, resulted in a treasure trove of images that have forever captured the look of everyday life in one small Midwestern town. This opening reception is free to the public, and so are the refreshments, so do come see us.
Why Illinois was Ground Zero for Innovation
Join award-winning author and journalist John Wasik on Sunday, October 20th at 2 p.m. for a lively discussion about how and why Illinois became a hub of innovation. His talk includes such inventions as John Deere‘s self-scouring plow, the construction of the first steel-framed skyscraper in Chicago, and Nikola Tesla’s introduction of the alternating current system at the World’s Columbian Exposition. He will also invite us to contemplate what must be done to ensure that our state thrives in a global and high tech economy. The lecture is free for members and $5 for non-members.
Picture Postcards: The Happy Invention
The first picture postcards in America were printed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago– making Illinois the birthplace of the American picture postcard. At 2 p.m. on Sunday, Novermber 3rd, Katherine Hamilton-Smith, founding curator of the Curt Teich Postcard Archives now at the Newberry Library, will provide us with an interesting look at the documentary power and significance of picture postcards. Bring postcards from your own personal collection to the program and Ms. Hamilton-Smith can comment on their value and rarity.
