CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM

Summary

The Chicago History Museum cares for, showcases, and interprets millions of authentic pieces of Chicago and U.S. history. To reinvigorate interest and boost attendance, the Museum dedicated millions of dollars to a complete renovation of its facilities and exhibits, and embarked upon a brand overhaul to coincide with its sesquicentennial in 2007. Coleman Partners was invited to submit creative ideas for promoting the new Museum.
We saw the Museum's new brand as an ideal way to show Chicagoans and tourists that Chicago history is educational, interactive, relevant and fun. Additionally, we realized there are hundreds of places within walking distance of our offices where important historical events have taken place: the Haymarket Riots, the Eastland Disaster, the 1968 Democratic Convention protests, and on and on. What amazed us was the realization that we are living among the ghosts of these events, that human activity in this city exists in layers that are hundreds of years deep.

Slides

We began by finding historical photographs of Chicago landmarks and events. This is a shot of Wrigley Field during the 1945 World Series.

Then we took a camera up to Wrigleyville and got a present-day photograph shot from the same angle. This is a lot harder than it probably sounds. The right angle ended up being accessible only by standing in the westbound lane of Addison Avenue.

Here the designer has begun to manipulate the contemporary photography in preparation for the historical photo overlay.

Now the two shots are brought together, with a sepia tone and border added to the historical photograph.

We saw the Museum's new brand as an ideal way to show Chicagoans and tourists that Chicago history is educational, interactive, relevant and fun. Additionally, we realized there are hundreds of places within walking distance of our offices where important historical events have taken place: the Haymarket Riots, the Eastland Disaster, the 1968 Democratic Convention protests, and on and on. What amazed us was the realization that we are living among the ghosts of these events, that human activity in this city exists in layers that are hundreds of years deep.