04 Mar rust in peace: rookery building’s adams street entrance cast iron staircase designed by john wellborn root future unknown
images of john wellborn root-designed combination bower-barff and copper-plated cast iron staircase removed from the adams street entrance of burnham and root’s rookery building (1888) in the 1990s (if i recall correctly).
the staircase components were executed by the hecla iron works of new york (william winslow of the winslow brothers) worked there shortly before establishing his own foundry in chicago).
the staircase is owned by the university of illinois at edwardsville, which is also where richard nickel’s collection landed in 1965-66.
