Submit Local Photos for Smithsonian Exhibit at Elmhurst Historical Museum

Submitted by Patrice Roche. Photo: Carol Holloway, 14, in her backyard in Jefferson Heights, Los Angeles, June 1961. Phyllis Kelson Holloway, photographer. Courtesy of a private collection.

Elmhurst, IL - The Elmhurst Historical Museum is putting out a call for photos to past and present residents of Elmhurst to participate in an upcoming exhibit.

“Patios, Pools & the Invention of the American Backyard,” a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution, makes its Chicago-area debut at Elmhurst Historical Museum from March 19 through May 29.

The exhibit explores the mid-century backyard from the rise of the suburbs and tract houses, to the beauty of postwar garden design and the birth of the environmental movement.

To add a local component to the exhibit, Elmhurst Historical Museum staff is seeking photos taken between 1950 and 1965 in Elmhurst that show how families experienced the backyard space (barbecuing, lawn care, games, kids playing, etc.).

The museum requests hard copies of photos that can be scanned at a high resolution. Photos may be lent to the Elmhurst Historical Museum to be considered for one-time use for this exhibit or donated to the permanent collection to expand the photo archives.

Please contact Dan Lund at daniel.lund@elmhurst.org if you are interested in donating or lending a photo to the museum. Note: Museum staff will make final choices based on need, and there is no guarantee that a photo will be used in the exhibit. Photos received after February 19th, 2016 will not be considered for this exhibition, but may still be considered for donation to the museum’s collection.

Please include a year, location and description with photos and identify any people if possible, and provide contact information including phone, email, and address. Participants requesting photos to be returned will be notified when they are ready for pickup. Photos may be mailed to or dropped off at: Elmhurst Historical Museum, Attn: Daniel Lund, 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst, IL 60126.

For more information about the “Patios, Pools and the Invention of the American Backyard” exhibit, visit elmhursthistory.org or call (630) 833-1457.