Hand Colored Photographs at West Chicago City Museum

The art of hand-coloring photographs has been around almost as long as photography itself. Artists of all ages will enjoy this free activity at West Chicago City Museum. Participants are provided with a black-and-white still life photo featuring historic food items, as well as coloring materials, free of charge. Registration not required; drop in at City Museum any time between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to participate.

This project is inspired by historic West Chicago resident Zelda DeTray Dunbar (1895-1978).  When her family moved to West Chicago, she opened her own photography studio in the family home on West Grand Lake Blvd. For over 20 years, she took portraits of local people and photographed local events, hand coloring many of them.  Zelda was a lover of all the arts, and she also studied dramatic arts at the James School of Expression in Aurora and took up oil and watercolor painting. Zelda not only wanted to learn multiple art forms herself; she also taught others. She gave private lessons and open classes for adults and children. She also started the DeTray Dramatic School, which presented plays by and for children.