About

The Great Chicago Fire & the Web of Memory is a joint project of the Chicago History Museum (CHM) and Northwestern University Information Technology (NUIT) Department of Academic and Research Technologies (A&RT).  It is made possible by the generous support of the Guild of the Chicago History Museum.

The curator and author is Carl Smith, Franklyn Bliss Snyder Professor of English and American Studies and Professor of History at Northwestern. Rodolfo Vieira of NUIT is the principal developer, Harlan Wallach who manages NUIT’s Advanced Media Production Studio coordinated the technical production.  The Director of NUIT A&RT is Bob Taylor.

This version of the website and the mobile app, was created in conjunction with Web Development Team members Gus Childs and Andrea Gaither, and designed by Jon Fernandez.  Still photography was provided by Stefani Foster.  

CHM Research Librarian Lesley Martin identified the images, documents, and printed materials and prepared them for digitization.  She also provided invaluable historical information regarding these materials.  Collection Manager Francis DeCurtis located the artifacts.  Senior Photographer John Alderson directed the photography and scanning at CHM, with assistance from Scanning Technician Jessica Harvey and volunteer Richard Stack.  Interns Ian Flannigan and Barbara Ann Angarone conducted data entry and researched online rights.  In charge of rights and reproductions for CHM materials are Licensing and Reproductions Managers Erin Tikovitsch and Jessica Herczeg-Konecny.  Enrique Gonzalez is the CHM Multimedia Developer.  Supervising and coordinating the work at CHM were Rosemary Adams, Director of Print and Multimedia Publications, and Russell Lewis, Executive Vice President and Chief Historian.

Northwestern undergraduate Christina Powers provided essential research support, and graduate student Kyle Burke assisted in reviewing and editing the text.

Special thanks are due to Gary T. Johnson, President of the Chicago History Museum, for his enthusiastic support of this project.

The Great Chicago Fire & the Web of Memory is a major revision and expansion of an earlier version, which went online in 1996.  It owes much to the efforts of several individuals who contributed to that earlier version, notably Emily Clark, Joe Germuska, Douglas Greenberg, Paul Hertz, Eric Whitley, and Linda Ziemer.