📚 Author Talk @Sulzer Library: Remembering Edgewater Beach Hotel w/John Holden

📚 Author Talk at Sulzer Library: "Remembering Edgewater Beach Hotel" with John Holden

Let’s head back to the Sulzer Regional Library for another great author talk—no registration required, just show up and grab a seat! We’ll be sitting in the Large Meeting Room, which is general admission.

The Chicago Public Library welcomes local author John Holden, who will be discussing his Images of America book: “Remembering Edgewater Beach Hotel” (co-authored with Kathryn Gemperle).

Come learn about one of Chicago’s most iconic and glamorous historic landmarks, the Edgewater Beach Hotel, through rare photos and stories that bring the hotel’s vibrant past back to life.

🗓️ Date & Time: 5/29/25 6:30 pm
📍 Location: Sulzer Regional Library – 4455 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago
🎟️ No registration needed – just show up!

https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/events/6813cafd71d8af300085643a

After the lecture, some of us may grab a quick bite at one of the many nearby spots if time allows. Perhaps Gideon Welles Craft Beer Bar & Kitchen, Daily Bar & Grill, Wild Goose Bar & Grill, IL Milanese or Bad Apple. All are welcome to join! BRING CASH IF JOINING FOR DINNER, AS SOME VENUES DON'T ACCEPT SEPARATE CHECKS!

Part luxury hotel, part country club and part entertainment Mecca, the Edgewater Beach Hotel was one of the world’s great entertainment destinations. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, the hotel was a place to see and be seen and it played host to a who’s who of the rich and famous. Due to the nationwide Big Band Jazz broadcasts from its Marine Dining Room, the hotel became world famous and was synonymous with the good life. Join us for a lively look back with author John Holden at one of Chicago’s most legendary institutions.

“Nothing epitomized the glamour and excitement of Chicago’s jazz age and war years like the fabled Edgewater Beach Hotel. Much more than a hotel, the Edgewater Beach was a world unto itself—the only urban resort of its kind in the nation. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan on Chicago’s North Side, it offered swimming, golf, tennis, dancing, theater, fine dining, exclusive shopping, fabulous floor shows, unique watering holes, and, of course, some of the best jazz and swing music of its era. It even had its own pioneering radio station, which broadcasted across the nation and burnished its fame. Many of the legends of the big band era played its stages, and many of Hollywood’s leading stars crossed its footlights. It was a stomping ground for both the rich and famous as well as ordinary people who wanted a small taste of the high life. The Edgewater Beach Hotel was world renowned. But the social upheaval of the 1960s, the ascendance of automobile culture, and rapid urban change led to its demise.” ([ArcadiaPublishing.com](http://arcadiapublishing.com/))

“Fifty years ago, the last remnants of Edgewater’s most famous building came down, ending an era for one of the most storied hotels in Chicago history. Now, the Edgewater Beach Hotel is being remembered in the first book on the subject, written by two neighborhood historians.

“‘Remembering Edgewater Beach Hotel’ was published under Arcadia Publishing’s popular ‘Images of America’ series. It was written by Kathryn Gemperle and John Holden, members of the Edgewater Historical Society.

Sulzer Regional Library opened September 14, 1985. The library was named for Conrad Sulzer (1807-1873), a pioneer settler of Ravenswood. Sulzer, a Swiss immigrant who arrived in Chicago in 1836, turned wilderness into a livestock farm and a horticulture garden. He also served as collector of Ridgeville Township and assessor of Lake View Township, leaving a heritage of public service and commitment to the community, continued by his descendants through the Sulzer Family Foundation.

Artwork - Sulzer Regional Library features artwork funded through the Percent for Art Ordinance administered by the City of Chicago Public Art Program: frescoes entitled “Petrouchka” by Nicholas Africano, a painting by Sandra Jorgensen, a mural entitled “The Aeneid” by Irene Siegel.

https://www.chipublib.org/locations/67/

If you are taking public transportation, please check Google Maps for directions or use CTA trip planner. https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/

If driving, there is metered street parking on main streets. Just watch for permit-only or no parking signs. May want to use SpotHero or ParkWhiz, since it can be tricky to park in this area

PLEASE NOTE OUR CURRENT NO-SHOW POLICY:

• 3 no-shows without updating your rsvp and you will not be able to sign up for future events for 3 months
• cut-off time to update your rsvp is the start time of the event. If you miss the start time, then message the event host directly
• not checking in with the event host to notify them you have arrived (for walks, tours or festival-type of events)
• continual no-shows will result in removal from the group!