Sweet Home Chicago: The History of America’s Candy Capital

Sweet Home Chicago: The History of America’s Candy Capital

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From Fannie May and Brach’s Candies to Tootsie Rolls, Frango Mints, Lemonheads, and more—Chicago has a tasty history of producing candy loved the world over. Listen in to learn about Chicago’s candy-making history and why the city has been such a sweet spot for creating confections. 

Lance Tawzer, curator of exhibits at the Elmhurst Historical Museum, will lead the tour of the original exhibit Sweet Home Chicago: The History of America’s Candy Capital. An exhibit designer by trade, Lance has gained a regional reputation for developing fun, innovative, and engaging exhibits at the Elmhurst Historical Museum that tell compelling stories to broad audiences. Some of his recent creative summer exhibitions include The Drawn-Out History of Comic Books, The Magical History Tour, and last year’s Toys in the ‘Hood, which all received rave reviews from visitors and the media.

Exhibit writer and collaborator Leslie Goddard is the newly named executive director of the Graue Mill and Museum in Oak Brook, IL. She earned her Ph.D. from Northwestern University in an interdisciplinary field of study that covered U.S. history, women’s studies, and theater. An award-winning actor and scholar, Goddard has extensive experience in presenting public programs including first-person historical characters and lectures at Chicago area museums and historical societies, civic organizations, schools, and retirement homes.

Recorded Saturday, June 9, 2012 at the Elmhurst Historical Museum.