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Did you know that the Michelangelo’s David is 17 feet tall? Back in the 1500s, bigger equaled better, and larger than life sculptures were considered the industry standard. Don’t get me wrong, massive sculptures are awe-worthy, but what about a sculpture that can fit on the tip of an eyelash?
In the Nicole Gallery until 22 May, micro-sculptures that fit in the eyes of needles, on the tips of eyelashes and on doll house-size paper flowers are on display and ready to amaze you.
Charlie Chaplin on an Eyelash, seen through a microscope
The amazing artist who creates these tiny 8th wonders of the world is English-born Willard Wigan, and you really have to see them to believe them. The “Hollywood collection” of Wigan’s work is on display and can only be seen through a microscope. He makes his own tools and works in between heart beats.
Time Out Chicago’s latest issue goes on and on about spa deals, and SpaFinder’s much anticipated Deal Days are coming up soon. But what are you going to do after that luxurious massage and facial? If you still want to feel like a million bucks and see, well, over a million bucks worth of stuff, you should head over to the Driehaus Museum on Erie and Wabash!
The museum is housed in the Gilded Age home of banker Samuel Mayo Nickerson and is gorgeously lavish, complete with 18 different types of marble (it was nicknamed the Marble Palace) throughout the house and other treasures that must be experienced first-hand.
Nickerson’s home was built from 1879 – 1883 during America’s Gilded Age (1878 – 1889), a term coined by Mark Twain to satirise the greed and wealth associated with rapid industrial change. During that time, oil, steel and railway tycoons were making bank and bragging about it by getting the top architects and craftsmen to make mini-palaces for them.
Picture courtesy of Cape Cod History
Mr. Nickerson moved to Chicago in 1858 and made his fortune in the liquor distillery business. Turns out he made a deal with the Union Army to supply them with liquor for both drinking and making explosives. Smart man! Once he became rich and his first Chicago house burned down in the Great Fire of 1871, he decided to build a new place.
The best advice I have ever received was from a man named Dr. Angus Lockyer. During my first time studying abroad in London, Angus was my London Social History professor. He is English, witty and wise beyond his years. As our professor, he would lead us on long tours through the streets of London, and even though I have roots in England and have spent a lot of time in London, he opened my eyes to things I never noticed before.
One day I told him that I preferred to leave very early in the morning to get to class downtown so I could walk through the streets for two hours and take everything in on foot. He just smiled and said, “That’s the way to do it. Walk everywhere. Question everything. And never forget to keep looking up.”
That advice stuck. If you take the L or bus everywhere in Chicago, you are either moving too fast to see everything this wonderful city has to offer, or you are underground and seeing…tunnel walls. If you choose to walk you will start discovering new things. If you look up, instead of just straight in front of you, you will notice all of the gorgeous, historical architecture that is just waiting to tell you its story. Yes, in Chicago the walls do talk, they are just waiting for you to listen.
"Pssst, I have a secret!" - The Monadnock
On Tuesday I joined a tour led by Chicago Architecture Foundation docent Barry Sears on the rise of the skyscraper downtown. Armed with my camera, mobile phone (I Twitpic’d a few photos while on the tour Tuesday), pen and paper, I bring to you know a recap of the tour with some of the most interesting information.
Some buildings in Chicago just scream to be looked at. It’s almost like they are trying to hard. But when you explore a building that you pass every day that you think is just a boring old building, then find it incredible, it’s like a rebirth. From then on as you pass it on your way to work, you just have to smile, because you know the secrets it holds.
How I feel about the Chicago Board of Trade buildings has been forever changed by the Chicago Architecture Foundation, and the amazing tour Penny gave today!
To kick of the “Around Chicago in 85 Tours” challenge, the CAF started at the CBOT to unveil its art deco glamour (not like it needs much help!).
I know that not everyone can get out during the day to take tours, so I thought I would tell you what I learned on the CBOT tour!
