Most recent events in Chicago, IL

Dig into the history of Benjamin Marshall Society. Contact us about events Chicago, IL, to learn more.

Benjamin Marshall's 145th Birthday on May 5th, 2019

The Benjamin Marshall Society celebrated Benjamin Marshall's 145th Birthday on May 5th, 2019

at the
Hotel Julian
168 N Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60601

Designed by Benjamin Marshall in 1912, this exciting addition to the city of Chicago is as unique as the architect who designed it.

Introducing the new Honorary Chair of the Benjamin Marshall Society:

John W. Rutledge
President & CEO
Oxford Capital Group

Mr. Rutledge has been recognized for his commitment to restoring the treasures of Marshall and preserving a piece of Chicago architecture history.

Guests enjoyed the beautiful decor in the hotel's restaurant / bar and it's outside terrace.
Proceeds of this event go towards funding a short introductory documentary on Benjamin Marshall
which will serve to educate and inspire architecture enthusiasts and city dwellers alike about the life and work of one of Chicago's greatest architects.

This project is commissioned by the Benjamin Marshall Society.

Copyright © 2018 Benjamin Marshall Society, All rights reserved.
www.BenjaminMarshallSociety.org
The Benjamin Marshall Society is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
All donations to the Society are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.

Past Events 2017-2018

♦our sparkling affair at 999 N. Lake Shore Drive, November 14th, 2017
♦our spectacular Symposium: Mansions in the Sky, November 21st at the Chicago Cultural Center in collaboration with the Chicago Architecture Biennial 2017
♦several lectures on book, "Benjamin H. Marshall, Chicago Architect"

History Of Chicago, IL

On November 14th, the birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales, the Benjamin Marshall Society celebrated the architect's history with Edward, Prince of Wales and future king of England, who visited Marshall at his studio/home in Wilmette in 1925. (See photo clip above.) An evening of passed hors d'oeuvres and sparkling wine was topped off w/ cake-cutting, card-signing and a silent auction.

Symposium: Mansions in the Sky
Chicago Apartments Between the Wars
At the Chicago Cultural Center

Presented By
Robert Bruegmann
Stuart Cohen
Carroll William Westfall
Neil Harris
Lucien Lagrange

Learn About the History of Chicago Architecture

Benjamin H. Marshall: Chicago Architect was commissioned by the Benjamin Marshall Society in Chicago, Illinois, authored by John Zukowsky and Jean Guarino, published by Acanthus Press in New York, with photography by Tom Harris of Hedrich-Blessing Photographers. The Society was founded in 2002 to highlight Marshall's architectural legacy.

Sold Out

Reviews have been spectacular!

The book has been a stunning success, and copies of Benjamin H. Marshall: Chicago Architect are sold out! Authors John Zukowsky and Jean Guarino have made this monograph a real page-turner with stunning photos by Tom Harris of Hedrich-Blessing Photographers.

The Benjamin Marshall Society is on its way to its 17th year in 2019! The Society could not have done it without your continuing care and support.

History

Born in 1874, Marshall was a practicing architect at the start of the 20th century and into the 1930s. He traveled the world, even visiting China and Japan. Marshall embraced a diverse range of cultures, which is reflected in the many iconic buildings he designed in Chicago, including his studio/home (since demolished) overlooking Lake Michigan. They include his creation of East Lake Shore Drive, the Blackstone Hotel, which hosted political conventions in its "smoke-filled rooms," the Drake Hotel, and the Edgewater Beach Hotel, where many Big Bands, film and theater artists of the 1920s performed. He also was a force majeure of the development of Streeterville and the Gold Coast in Chicago. The area, which at the time was a landfill, was transformed from marshland into the most luxurious real estate in Chicago.

The Benjamin Marshall Society celebrated the publication of Benjamin H. Marshall: Chicago Architect at an event at the Drake Hotel on May 15, 2016. This is the first book ever written about Marshall, filling a void in the cultural and architectural history of Chicago. This book is reviving the memory, legacy, and work of this most influential American architect.

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