Robert A. was visiting Chicago a few weeks ago and discovered
something very interesting. He was sightseeing inside the ornate
Chicago Cultural Center and noticed this frieze on the ceiling:
This is the Grand Army of the Republic Rotunda. Taking a closer
look at the corner: Here’s a sharp photo someone else took of
the Don’t Tread on Me frieze. Is that neat, or what? Robert and
I are intrigued and want to learn more. I’ve never seen this
combination of symbols before. Was it some flourish of the
architect? Did the designer make it up, or reproduce it from
somewhere? The Chicago Cultural Center was opened in 1893. It
was originally a dual-purpose building: a Chicago public
library, and a museum/meeting hall for the Grand Army of the
Republic veterans association. Robert found a booklet entitled
“The People’s Palace: The Story of the Chicago Cultural Center”
which briefly mentions the rotunda: “At the top of the stairway
is the 45-foot by 50-foot Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.)
Rotunda. The ceiling is embos