The 1950s Park Forest House Museum conducted its 2008 grand opening of its second rental unit at 141 Forest Blvd. with Step Back into a 1950s Valentine’s Day.
Museum Director Jane Nicoll said the exhibit proved so popular that it became an annual tradition and one of the largest displays at what has been housed inside Church of St. Mary in Park Forest since 2015.
“It turned out to be something that we have been able to preserve,” said Nicoll, who is also vice president and archivist of the Park Forest Historical Society, which operates the museum.
“It’s such a day brightener in the dark days of winter and it is so red. It brings back a lot of memories of valentines that you would have exchanged as kids. It’s cheerful when it’s pretty dull and depressing outside.”
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The exhibit is open from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays from Feb. 1 to March 8 or for small groups by appointment. Group rates are negotiable for large tours and school and scout field trips.
“We’ve decorated the classroom as if it had a 1950s-style classroom party in it and then lots of valentines that are period or copy of period all over the room. Each of the children’s desks has several valentines that are the style that children exchanged in the day,” Nicoll said.
“We put up honeycomb puffy hearts, a couple of strings of crepe paper hearts across the room and some die cuts. There are a number of Valentine die cuts and those are period. I especially like the little Cupid girls with ponytails that I put out in the classroom on the blackboard.
“We have Patti Playpal-type dolls in the classroom. They came from a specific Girl Scout leader in town so I think of her when I put up the little girls. I know she probably decorated for the Girl Scouts with those.”
According to Nicoll, there are at least 100 valentines, if not more, in the exhibit.
“We may have some of the antique valentines. A man in Chicago Heights donated his wife’s antique valentine collection. Hers is truly 1880s up through the 1950s. It’s very interesting to see the difference,” said Nicoll of Park Forest.
“There’s also some other displays like one on the dining room table. We just Valentine it up.”
Several valentines are matched to items throughout the 1950s Park Forest House Museum, which represents what an original town home might have been like from 1948 to 1953.
“One of my favorites is we have the big double aluminum percolator and a smaller coffeepot next to it and I found a valentine for each of those,” Nicoll said.
“(There’s) a Western-style kids gun and I found the exact gun in a valentine. I found one with a file cabinet for the file cabinet. I found a valentine that was roller skates with toes pointed at each other so I set up the skates with that valentine in a box.
“That’s fun every time you find one that matches something.”
Step Back into a 1950s Valentine’s Day
When: Feb. 1-March 8
Where: 1950s Park Forest House Museum in Church of St. Mary, 227 Monee Road, Park Forest
Tickets: $5 adults; free (with paying adult) ages 12 and younger
Information: 708-481-4252; facebook.com/parkforesthistory
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
More things to do this week
Here are some other events occurring the week of Jan. 27-Feb. 2 in the Southland.
Scotty McCreery
He performs at 8 p.m. Jan. 27 at Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet. Tickets are $39-$59. At 102 N. Chicago St. 815-726-6600; rialtosquare.com.
Midwest Culture Fest
Art, collectibles, sneakers, streetwear and vintage clothing are featured from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 28 at The Forge in Joliet. Tickets are free. At 22 W. Cass St. 815-280-5246; eventbrite.com and search Midwest Culture Fest.
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The Second City
Swipes Right: An Incomplete Guide to the Ultimate Date Night is at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at Moraine Valley Community College’s Dorothy Menker Theater in Palos Hills. Tickets are $28-$35 for adults; free for students. At 9000 W. College Parkway. 708-974-5500; morainevalley.edu/fpac.
Thuy &
A reception from noon to 2 p.m. Feb. 2 at Moraine Valley Community College’s Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery in Palos Hills includes a 12:30 p.m. artist talk with Anh-Thuy Nguyen. Exhibit is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays from Feb. 1 to March 6. Tickets are free. At 9000 W. College Parkway. 708-608-4231; morainevalley.edu/fpac.
— Jessi Virtusio