The Ridge Historical Society (RHS) has premiered a new exhibit that is now open for public viewing. There is something in this exhibit for everyone – art, rare photographs, architecture, and the stories of people who called the Ridge home. Curators of the exhibit are Linda Lamberty, RHS Historian, and Tim Blackburn, RHS Board member.
“Louise Barwick’s Lost Ridge” presents the area from 1893 to 1905 as experienced through the watercolor paintings and their descriptions by Louise Barwick, a local teacher and artist. Viewers will be taken back to the days when daisies stretched for acres, gaslights were lit by hand every night, and young women arrived for events in horse-drawn carriages.
A related story is that of Sol Hornbeck whose family lived and worked in one of the historic train stations. Sol shared stories about the wild bird life in the area.
Also on display are images of the area caught by kite photography, cutting edge technology of the 1890s, foreshadowing today’s drone photography.
Another part of the exhibit is an architecture feature on early buildings from Beverly and Morgan Park. Some are still standing but many others have fallen to the wrecking ball.
The fates of the Vanderpoel Block on 95th Street and the Charles Silva House on Esmond Avenue reveal that, unfortunately, progress and preservation are not always compatible. The Vanderpoel Block is preserved in a wonderful model on loan from Tim Blackburn. Artifacts salvaged from the Silva House are on display from the RHS collection.
Viewers will also enjoy rare early panoramic photos of the area, and can guess which of twenty-three original buildings are still standing. Hint: It’s more than half!
RHS is located at 10621 S. Seeley Avenue in Chicago. Exhibit hours are 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays and Tuesdays, or by appointment. Admission is free. There is some parking on site, and more on Seeley Avenue. RHS is not wheelchair accessible. RHS may be contacted at 773/881-1675 or ridgehistory@hotmail.com.