In 1914, Bessie Bennett was made the curator of Decorative Arts at the Art Institute, which also made her the first woman appointed to a major curatorial position in the United States. Chicagoans would have known her from an impressively condescending Daily Tribuneheadline in 1911: “Woman Expert from Art Institute Who Will Study Museums Abroad.” Whatever. She became a major figure in Chicago art circles, won medals from the French government, put on totally badass shows, and brought American attention to esoteric topics like historical silver and Swedish design.
