Lombard's original Lilac Queen crown heading to Chicago exhibit
A significant piece of Lilac Time history will be missing when Lombard celebrates the annual event this spring.
The original Lilac Queen crown is being delivered to Chicago next week to be featured in the Driehaus Museum's exhibit, "Maker & Muse: Women and Early Twentieth Century Art." It will be on display from April 1 through January.
"I think it's a wonderful honor," Lombard Historical Society Executive Director Natalie Troiani said. "It's very fortunate that we're able to send it there and that they're able to feature it in their exhibit."
Lombard resident and artist Christia Reade designed the crown in 1930 for the first Lilac Festival. It was used for six years, before the festival took a hiatus due to the Great Depression and war, Troiani said.
Women in the community donated silver spoons that were melted down to create the crown. Reade engraved flowers, leaves and branches along the outside. The names of some of the early Lilac Queens adorn the inside of the crown.
Troiani said the time period in which the crown was made is a good fit for the exhibit, which features more than 250 pieces of jewelry created, worn and inspired by women between the late Victorian era and the early decades of the 20th century.
"Christia Reade was an interesting lady and she did beautiful work," Troiani said.
The exhibit has been open since February, but representatives from the Driehaus Museum agreed to wait to feature the crown until after the Lilac Princess tiara presentation, which took place earlier this month, Troiani said.
"All of the princesses have the opportunity to try the crown on and then have their pictures taken in it," she said. "Because it's no longer used as the official crown, this is an opportunity for them to be able to connect to the history of the event."
When the Lilac Festival started up again in 1947, organizers either couldn't locate the crown or forgot to pull it out, so they created a new one, Troiani said.
There are conflicting stories, but Troiani said it appears most likely that the new crown was made of cardboard, wrapped in aluminum foil.
A tin crown was later made and used through the late 1940s and 1950s, Troiani said. In more recent years, the crowns have shifted to a more traditional look, with sparkling rhinestones.
While the Reade crown won't be on display during this year's Lilac Festival, four other crowns are featured in a permanent exhibit at the Historical Society's Carriage House, located behind the Victorian Cottage at 23 W. Maple St. The exhibit also features pictures of past Lilac Queens, including a colorized photo of the first coronation ceremony.
The Victorian Cottage and the Carriage House are open from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Friday and, starting in April, from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free, but a donation is suggested.
Anyone interested in volunteering during Lilac Time as a museum greeter or Lilacia Park tour guide is welcome to attend a training session from noon to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at the Carriage House.
The Driehaus Museum, located at 40 E. Erie St. in Chicago, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $20 for adults, $12.50 for seniors age 65 and older and $10 for students.