Beginning with the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, tragic Chicago fires such as the 1903 Iroquois Theater Fire and the 1967 McCormick Place Fire have led to improvements for not just the city, but the nation.
Log on and join CHM assistant curator Julius L. Jones and author and architecture critic Lee Bey as they discuss how conflagrations have influenced Chicago’s built landscape. From crash bars on fire exits to doors that open out and the implementation of water sprinkler systems, learn how Chicago helped advance national standards in building codes, materials, and zoning.
Free Admission. Talk runs about 1 hour; Zoom link provided after registration.
SPEAKERS
Lee Bey is a photographer, writer, and lecturer who documents and interprets the built environment—and the often complex political, social, and racial forces that shape spaces and places. A former Chicago Sun-Times architecture critic, he is also a senior lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and served as deputy chief of staff for urban planning under former Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley. Bey’s photography has appeared in Chicago Architect, Old-House Journal, CITE, and in international design publications, including Bauwelt and Modulør. His writing on architecture and urban design has been featured in Architect, Chicago Magazine, Architectural Record, and many news outlets. Bey’s most recent publication is Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago's South Side (2019).
Julius L. Jones is an assistant curator at the Chicago History Museum. He is committed to using technology to tell new and inclusive stories about the past in compelling and innovative ways. Jones develops exhibition content, conducts research, seeks new acquisitions, and speaks on a variety of Chicago history topics. He is currently curating the exhibition City on Fire: Chicago 1871, which opens in October 2021.