01 Jan bld. 51 archive’s photographic collection on constucting 19th and late 20th century chicago commerical structures
the following images represent only a fraction of the bldg. 51 museum archive’s massive collection of photographs and related ephemera (e.g., blueprints, drawings, lithographs, building contracts, stationary, etc.) on the construction of city of chicago commercial buildings built between 1850-1990. this is the largest private collection in the world, with newly added items digitized and uploaded for unabridged access on a daily basis.
seldom seen construction photographic image of graham, anderson, probst and white’s merchandise mart (1930), located at 222 merchandise mart plaza, chicago, il.
the 25-story art deco style building was designed by alfred p. shaw and built by john w. griffiths & sons, chicago, il.
original j.w. taylor photographic print of the continental and commercial national bank building (d.h. burnham & company) under construction in 1913.
original construction images of holabird and roche’s 17-story chicago school marquette building (1895, addition 1905), located at 140 south dearborn street, chicago, il.
the 17-story terra cotta-clad building was designed by holabird and roche in 1895, with an addition (also by holabird and roche) completed in 1905-06. the building and addition were built by chicago-based george a. fuller and company.
northwestern terra cotta company executed the reddish-brown terra cotta for both building and addition.
a gfrc replica cornice was added in 2001 (the original was removed in the 1950s).
1923-24 chicago architectural photographing company construction image (scanned from original negative) of graham, anderson, probst and white’s 37-story straus building (1924), located at 310 south michigan avenue, chicago, il..
photographic print of people’s gas building under construction taken on march 10th, 1910. the beaux-arts style 21-story building was completed in 1911 by d.h. burnham & company.
the exterior is comprised of granite (from sidewalk above third story) with the remainder the facade containing terra cotta finished to look like granite. the massive ionic order columns are 4 feet in diameter, 30 feet in height, and weigh 25 tons each. the granite was quarried from rockport, mass.
seldom seen charles d. arnold interior construction image of adler & sullivan’s transportation building as it appeared in march of 1892.
original chicago architectural photographic image of 1920s downtown chicago (michigan avenue looking north from art institute).
note vitzthum, karl, and company’s bell building (1924) and howells and hood’s tribune tower (1925) are under construction left of graham, anderson, probst & white’s wrigley building (1921).
rarely seen james w. taylor construction photo of adler and sullivan’s auditorium building (1889) taken from sw corner of wabash and congress.
original dated 1927 chicago architectural photographing company photographic construction image (scanned from copy negative) of herbert hugh riddle’s terra cott-clad 38-story mather tower (1928), located at 75 east wacker drive, chicago, il.
w.a. illsey were the general contractors. the masonry work was done by r.f. wilson and company. the steel framing was erected by overland construction company. northwestern terra cotta executed the cream colored terra cotta ornament.
an early holabird and roche survivor.
j.w. taylor construction image (scanned from glass negative) of holabird and roche’s pontiac building (1891), located at 542 south dearborn street, chicago, il.
the 14-story brick and terra cotta pontiac building is the oldest of the firm’s downtown skyscrapers that remains standing.
northwestern terra cotta company executed the terra cotta and elevator ornament was fabricated by winslow brothers.
seldom seen original james w. taylor construction albumen photographic print of holabird and roche’s 17-story old colony building, located at 407 s. dearborn street, chicago, ills.
the steel-frame structure was erected on spread foundation comprised of concrete and iron grillage. the exterior is comprised of bedford limestone, roman brick (from philadelphia), and white glazed terra cotta, executed by the northwestern terra cotta company, chicago, ills.
courtesy of chris ware collection.
original 1903 james w. taylor albumen print of louis h. sullivan’s schlesinger and mayer building (1899) under construction (the madison street section was completed in december of 1899).
by summer of 1903, work was completed for the three bays on madison street, rounded corner, and three additional bays fronting state street.
it’s interesting to note that sullivan had foundations (caisson type) for second addition dug under the existing building (bowen building) so that demolition wouldn’t be necessary until the addition’s steel frame was to be constructed.
george a fuller company served as general contractor/builder for the building. the white glazed terra cotta was done by northwestern terra cotta company. winslow brothers executed the elaborate storefront ironwork, and luxfer prism company fabricated the transoms above the display windows.
construction of burnham and root’s 17-story monadnock building (north half, 1891) nearing completion. the structure was built by george a fuller company, known as the creator of the modern contracting system in building construction.
root referred to monadnock as his “jumbo.” it was his last project – he died suddenly at age 41 while it was under construction.
courtesy of john vinci collection.
“the world’s greatest hotel.”
two seldom seen kaufamann and fabry construction images of holabird and roche’s beaux arts-style stevens hotel (1927), located at 720 south michigan avenue, chicago, il.
the hotel was built by the geroge a. fuller company of chicago and new york.
the exterior limestone was executed by the indiana limestone company, bedford, ind.
original photographic image of d.h. burnham & company’s 1906 addition to louis h. sullivan’s schlesinger and mayer (later carson, pirie, scott and company) building (1899) under construction. note the steelworkers with pneumatic rivet guns and company’s hand-painted sign along brick wall.
the second section of the peoples gas and light and coke company’s building was erected by the lanquist and illsey company in “36 working days.” the steel frame section – shown in this silver gelatin photographic print dated april 15th, 1910, required the use of 3,640 tons of steel.
the inclusion of a single floor of newly installed decorative terra cotta cladding (finished in a glaze mimicking granite) contrasts nicely with the metal framing.
the building was completed in 1911 by d. h. burnham and company.
seldom seen original 8 x 10 photographic image of giaver and dinkelberg’s jewelers building (1927) with the four corner roof tanks and 17-story tower under construction.
the 40-story cream-colored terra cotta building (renamed the pure oil building in 1928) was erected by the starrett-dilks company of chicago.
rare oversized photographic print of the neo-gothic style woods theater under construction in 1918.
the white glazed terracotta-clad theater was built for albert h. woods by the architectural firm of marshall and fox.
the theater closed in 1989 and was demolished in 1990.
a sliver of adler and sullivan’s schiller building (1892-1961) is visible to the west, along randolph street.
1930s glass negative image of hot rivet throwing demonstration in an unidentifed chicago building under construction. giaver and dinkelberg’s 40-story jewelers building (1927) in background.