20 Aug bldg. 51 museum collection acquires exceptionally rare, museum quality 1902-03 george grant elmslie-designed five-ply fret-sawn mahogany wood panel from 1899 schlesinger and mayer building
August 20, 2025
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amazingly intact 1902-03 george grant elmslie-designed fret-sawn mahogany wood screen panel located in schlesinger and mayer building (1899, louis h. sullivan, architect) third floor women’s lounge and writing room. the richly ornamented woodwork was executed by the edmunds mfg. co., chicago, il.
additional panels – on display at the art institute of chicago and chazen museum of art at the university of wisconsin-madison were donated by george and fred keck of the chicago-based architectural firm of keck and keck.
the planes of wood were affixed together with their grains rotated to strengthen or reinforce the assembled panel.
i’ve included richard nickel image of a larger screen assembly – consisting of nine interlocking modules – that was on display at the “louis sullivan and the architecture of free enterprise” exhibit (designed by daniel brenner of bdr) held at the art institute in 1956.
