Charnley-Persky House Archaeological Project
Introduction
Figure 1: This kitten plate (with added trowel) has become a mascot of the Charnley-Persky House archaeological research. Manufactured by the reknowned English firm, Mintons Ltd., this transferprint was produced around 1891.
This web exhibit provides a glimpse into the consumer habits of the men, women, and children who lived on Chicago's Gold Coast at the turn of the 20th Century. Selected artifacts recovered from excavations at the Charnley-Persky House (11CK1248*) in 2010 and 2015 provide the first look at these consumer choices as the sites of manufacture or point of sale are mapped in relation to their final place of deposit and each other.
Figure 2: Students unearthing yellowware mixing bowl fragments during the 2015 excavation at the Charnley-Persky House.
Whether or not the artifacts recovered from the Charnley-Persky House can be connected with individual residents of that structure, they continue to provide potential insight into the daily lives of turn-of-the-century urban consumers.
*This number is the Smithsonian trinomial--a unique identifier for an archaeological site--registered with the State of Illinois. "11" is the designation for Illinois, "CK" refers to Cook County, and "1248" notes that it is the 1248th site recorded. Back to top.
Copyright © Rebecca S. Graff 2016 All Rights Reserved