16 May richard nickel images of terra cotta ornament adorning adler and sullivan’s residential chimneys
BENJAMIN LINDAUER RESIDENCE:
richard nickel photograph of unglazed terra cotta chimney ornament on benjamin lindauer residence designed by adler and sullivan in 1885. the sullivan-designed ornament was executed by northwestern terra cotta company, chicago, ills.
nickel documented and salvaged the house during its demolition in 1959.
image courtesy of ryerson and burnham, art institute of chicago. ornament courtesy of tim samuelson collection.
RUBEN RUBEL RESIDENCE:
richard nickel images of ruben rubel residential terra cotta ornament. the rubel residence was designed by adler and sullivan in 1884. during its demolition in 1958, nickel managed to salvage interior and exterior ornament, including a “sunburst” terra cotta panel.
two matching red slip terra cotta panels were built flush against the house’s chimney. i consider this piece of early sullivan ornament to be one of his finest executed in terra cotta.
courtesy of ryerson and burnham, art institute of chicago and eric j. nordstrom.
MARTIN BARBE RESIDENCE:
richard nickel images of adler & sullivan’s martin barbe residence (1884) enlarged from multiple contact prints.
nickel documented the surrounding neighborhood (the house was located at 3157 south prairie avenue), the interior and exterior before and after the fire, and salvage efforts to remove ornament before the house was demolished in 1963.
the ornamental pressed and folded tin lunette (facing prairie), red slip glazed terra cotta (e.g., chimney blocks, 3-part frieze panel, and square blocks that would later become a “stock” pattern made available by northwestern terra cotta), and other artifacts were rescued and sold to edwardville in 1965. the salvaged ornament is on permanent display at the university’s lovejoy library.
images courtesy of the richard nickel archive, ryerson and burnham archives, art institute of chicago.
HAMMOND LIBRARY:
richard nickel photograph of adler & sullivan’s chicago theological seminary, hammond, c.g., library (1882, 1883). demolished in 1963. the chimney with sandstone ornament (behind the phillips 66 sign) is still standing.
images courtesy of the richard nickel archive, ryerson and burnham archives, art institute of chicago and eric j. nordstrom.