Sweet Home Chicago exhibit, May 11 - Sept 30

Sweet Home Chicago exhibit unwraps Chicago’s candy-making history

New exhibit on display May 11 through September 30 at Elmhurst Historical Museum

ELMHURST, IL – Chicago has been called America's candy capital since the late 1800s, and for much of its history, a third of all candies made in the United States were made here. Iconic candy names like Snickers, Butterfingers, Wrigley, Tootsie Rolls, Lemonheads, Cracker Jack – and many more – have all been produced in the Chicago area over the last century.

So how and why did so many candy makers come to craft their delicious confections in Chicago? Visitors to the Elmhurst Historical Museum, 120 East Park Ave. in Elmhurst, will find out by experiencing the new exhibit, Sweet Home Chicago: The History of America’s Candy Capital, on display from May 11 through September 30, 2012.

From corner shops to candy factories
From mom-and-pop shops on neighborhood corners to huge factories churning out sweets by the millions, Chicago’s candy-making story is one that started with skilled immigrants bringing their European craftsmanship to the city. Factor in Chicago’s burgeoning role as a transportation hub and the result is a perfect combination for making every type of candy, from hand-crafted chocolates in local kitchens to candy bars on the assembly line. Chicago, it would seem, had many of the right factors at the right time in history to become a national center for candy making.

Sweet Home Chicago is an original exhibit created by Lance Tawzer, Elmhurst Historical Museum’s curator of exhibits, in collaboration with Leslie Goddard, PhD. Goddard extensively researched and wrote a book on the subject, and Tawzer saw it as an ideal focal point for an engaging summer exhibit that would have broad regional appeal throughout the Chicago area.

“With our summer exhibits, we like to try to explore the lighter side of history with compelling stories to capture the interest of a wide range of patrons,” said Tawzer. “Our goal is to make learning about history interesting, fun, and accessible to everybody, kids and adults alike, to provide an intergenerational experience. We hope that candy fans of all ages will visit multiple times in the coming months to learn more about this unique Chicago story,” Tawzer said.

Tawzer added that although the candy-making industry has undergone major changes in recent years, it is still an important American business which Chicago played a major role in building. “Consider some of the legendary names in candy: Brach, Blommer, Wrigley, Mars, Curtiss,” Tawzer said. “They all started right here, and they are fascinating stories of innovation, creativity, and growth during America’s candy-making heyday.”

Exhibit Highlights

Some of the special features museum visitors will encounter in the Sweet Home Chicago exhibit include:

§ Many interactive displays featuring interesting photographs, candy fun facts, and unique artifacts;

§ Clever advertisements used by early candy makers to sell their wares;

§ A mini theatre featuring an original video narrated by Bill Kurtis called “Candyland USA,” classic commercials, and the hilarious “I Love Lucy” candy-wrapping episode;

§ The Twisted Candy Challenge in the second floor gallery allows would-be candy makers to test their candy-wrapping skills.

Special Events and Programs

The Elmhurst Historical Museum has a full schedule of programs and events in the coming months to provide additional learning opportunities about Chicago’s candy-making legacy. For the latest program details, go to www.elmhursthistory.org.

May 17, Chicago’s Candy-Making History, 1:00 p.m. – Historian, author, and exhibit collaborator Leslie Goddard presents a lecture on how Chicago became America’s candy capital.

June 21, Chef Gale Gand: Tales from the Pastry Kitchen, 6:30 p.m. – Gale Gand – the renowned pastry chef of the four-star TRU restaurant, cookbook author, and television personality – will share her experiences satisfying Chicago’s sweet tooth at the Elmhurst Public Library. Reservations required; call 630-279-8696.

June 24, Sweet Home Spectacular, 1-4 p.m. – All are invited to join in a free family fun-for-all on the Elmhurst Historical Museum grounds with an outdoor concert by award-winning musician Jim Gill and his Family Room Tour, chocolate dipping with Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, face painting, games and lots more.

July 19, The History of Blommer Chocolate Company, 1:00 p.m. – Hear the story of Bloomer Chocolate Company, the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America and source of those delectable aromas have wafted over the near north side since 1939.

August 9, Adventures in Candyland: Small Batch Candy Making, 1:00 p.m. – Meet third-generation candy maker Amy Wertheim of R.G.W. Candy Company, who will share the company’s tradition of making small batch, hand-dipped chocolates, toffees, caramels and more on the family farm in downstate Illinois – and yes, she’ll have samples for participants.

Sweet Home Chicago: The History of America’s Candy Capital will be on display May 11 through September 30, 2012, and admission is free. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. For the latest information on programs and events and details on the exhibit, go to www.elmhursthistory.org.

The Elmhurst Historical Museum is located at 120 E. Park Avenue in Elmhurst. General admission is free with nominal fees for special programs. Public gallery hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. For more information, call 630-833-1457 or visit our website at www.elmhursthistory.org.

WBEZ’s Chicago Amplified partners with Culinary Historians by recording our programs and making them available for broadcast on demand at their website or downloadable to an iPod. Our most recent program:

The History of Blommer Chocolate Company
http://www.wbez.org/amplified/sweet-smell-success-history-blommer-chocolate-101429

WBEZ post: Blommer, where ‘the bridges smell like chocolate’
http://www.wbez.org/series/dynamic-rang ... %99-101620

Sweet Home Chicago: The History of America's Candy Capital
http://www.wbez.org/amplified/sweet-hom ... tal-101190