29 May remarkable c. 1905 michael reese hospital “sullivanesque” exterior terra cotta frieze panel obliberated

sadly, the massive, intricately designed “sullivanesque” unglazed and speckled terra cotta frieze, adorning the facade of the c. 1905 michael reese hospital (designed by the architectural firm of garden, martin and schmidt), was destroyed in early may of 2011. in addition, nearly 300 terra cotta figural lion heads flanking the ends of the window sills were lost as well. any and all attempts to rescue the ornament were immediately shot down after discovering that the demolition bid was awarded to brandenburg wrecking company (known to flatly refuse working with architectural salvage firms). the images depicted in this post offers a glimpse at the tragic “before and after” pertaining to the aforementioned “sullivanesque” or perhaps more appropriately, “gardenesque” frieze (likely fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company).