Experts on history, architecture, and photography will present a series of talks related to the current Hetherington Design Dynasty exhibit and three generations of Hetherington architects this month at the Ridge Historical Society (RHS), 10621 S. Seeley.
Friday, November 4, 7:00 pm
Researcher Tim Blackburn presents “Discover the History of Your Chicago House,” sharing information on how to research the history of your Chicago home, including the architecture, construction, inhabitants, and owners, Fri., Nov. 4, 7 p.m. Blackburn will help participants develop research methods that will help them gain a new appreciation for their vintage home’s history and cover building permits, local history, Chicago street renumbering, Sanborn maps, and more.
Blackburn is a member of the RHS Historic Buildings Committee and assists community members with research on their homes and with local history questions. He completed extensive research on his Hetherington-designed home in preparation for the “Hetherington Design Dynasty” exhibit for which he designed, photographed and installed the Google Earth Tour of Hetherington in the Ridge communities.
Mati Maldre, award-winning photographer and of the Historic Building Committee, presents “Photographing Architecture and a View Camera Demonstration,” Fri., Nov. 11, 7 p.m. Maldre, whose work has been widely published, strives to blend fundamental documentation and the interpretive expression that reveals new appreciation and understanding of our man-made environment. His photos – including those on exhibit in the “Hetherington Design Dynasty,” couple a firm respect for the subject’s integrity and the architect’s intent with a desire to produce an accurate photographic image. His photos, like the buildings they represent, are both art and science, both personal and practical.
Emeritus Professor of Art/Photography at Chicago State University, Maldre has contributed photos to collections, exhibits, and publications in the United States and abroad. He is co-author and photographer for the books “Walter Burley Griffin in America” and “The Chicago Bungalow.” His numerous commissions and awards include photographs for the Beverly chapter of “The AIA Guide to Chicago Architecture” and grants from National Endowment for the Arts, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Illinois Humanities Council and others.
Michael Lambert, the Preservation Planner for the City of Geneva., Ill., completes the series with “John Todd Hetherington: From Lake Forest to Geneva,” Fri., Nov. 18, 7 p.m.
With a career long overlooked, John Todd Hetherington was, at the close of the 19th century, the architect to some of Chicago’s most prominent residents. Hetherington, along with other leading residential and landscape architects of his era, designed some of the first estate homes in Lake Forest, Illinois. At the dawn of the 20th century, Hetherington was commissioned to design three homes along the Fox River that initiated the transformation of Geneva’s Batavia Road neighborhood.
Lambert has served as an instructor at the School of the Art Institute Chicago Department of Historic Preservation. He has been honored twice by Landmarks Illinois for preservation advocacy and restoration. He is currently the President of the Plainfield Historical Society.
Admission to each of the presentations is $15 or $10 for current RHS members. For reservations, call 773-881-1675 or purchase on Eventbrite at www.eventbrite.com/e/hetherington-architectural-lecture-series-tickets-443264575277.
