16 Nov richard nickel’s photographic documentation of adler and sullivan’s samuel stern house before and during its demolition

November 16, 2021 in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by

extraction of samuel stern house (1885) ornamental tin pediment and one of a few surviving plaster ceiling escutcheons. richard nickel, david norris, and bob furhoff salvaged most of its ornament. the adler & sullivan-designed residence was demolished in 1959. images of house exterior/interior taken by richard nickel shortly before the house was demolished. 

louis h. sullivan-designed exterior tin pediment panel removed from exterior relatively intact.

side shot of the tin pediment propped up against railing. not the cord or rope on the ground – likely used to lower to the ground.

nickel image depicting backside of the tin pediment, with large-format camera on tripod pointed at it. the box on the sidewalk was used for transporting his camera equipment.

interior of stern house in 1959. despite its decrepit state, original ornament (e.g., ceiling escutcheons) remain intact.

detail of sullivan-designed escutcheon, likely sculpted by james legge. thankfully, the medallions were salvaged prior to house demolition in 1959.

a fully restored stern house ceiling escutcheon, courtesy of the bldg. 51 museum collection.

images courtesy of ryerson and burnham, art institute of chicago and bldg. 51 archive. 

richard nickel images of the entrance doors from adler and sullivan’s samuel stern residence (1885) taken before and after its demolition in 1959.
nickel later expressed deep regret over extracting the sullivan-designed carved oak wood panels from the doors, but at the time, he was still learning how best to handle/display the architectural ornament he began salvaging only a few years prior.
the heavily weathered ornamental panels are safely stowed away at siue.
images courtesy of ryerson and burnham, art institute of chicago.
sullivan-designed cast iron newel post (later a stock pattern by union) courtesy of bldg. 51 archive.
richard nickel image of a louis sullivan-designed exterior ornamental wrought iron window guard on samuel stern residence (adler and sullivan, 1885).
nickel documented and salvaged much of the ornament before it was wrecked in 1959.
exact fabricator not known, but i suspect f.p. smith.
the additional images show the stern residence as it looked when it was still occupied and shortly before demolition, with most of the ornament already salvaged by nickel.
courtesy of ryerson and burnham, art institute of chicago.


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