ALLEGORICAL MYSTERY

A summer 2023 visit to Newberry Library in Chicago excited our imaginations. We were eager to see a pop-up book exhibit at The Newberry after our previous adventure in Québec City at the Maison de la littérature (House of Literature). The pop-up book installation was fascinating for its breadth and we were led on a private tour by exhibition curator Dr. Suzanne Karr Schmidt.

Upon reviewing materials provided by the Library, we were alerted to an architectural mystery. The Chicago Sunday Tribune published an illustration to announce The Newberry’s opening in November 1893. A group of what seems to be six or seven allegorical figures appear as relief sculptures above the primary door on West Walton Street. When we visit the Library today we may wonder what happened to the allegorical figures and why the original design for the public entry facing Washington Square Park was never completed. Celebrate Libraries will explore this and other questions in an upcoming four-part podcast series beginning in summer 2024. 

Enjoy a past interview with Dr. Suzanne Karr Schmidt by following this link: https://podcast.celebratelibraries.com/2023/06/dr-suzanne-karr-schmidt-pop-up-books-newberry-library-chicago-il/