the long-term collaboration involving the creative brilliance of architect louis h. sullivan (with assistance from chief draftsman george grant elmslie) and execution by the notable winslow brothers ornamental iron foundry culminated in 1899 with the fabrication (and generally well-maintained) enameled ornament adorning the schlesinger &...
in other news, i'm dangerously close to pulling the trigger on securing the lease for this 38,000 square-foot factory building that would house the new urban remains warehouse, showroom and museum. urban remains outgrew the existing warehouse two years ago, so this seems to be...
we are currently in the process of salvaging a recently shuttered chicago funeral home that will ultimately be demolished in the coming weeks. the morgue is always a fine place to contemplate one's mortality. however, i believe i was more preoccupied or perhaps sickened by...
the hartwell houses will be facing the wrecking ball within the next few weeks. the adjoining victorian era three-flats were built for lumber baron edwin s. hartwell’s two children in 1885 by architect julius h. huber. each unit contains a large red slip-glaze terra cotta...
urban remains is currently in the early stages of self-publishing a limited edition, hardbound photo-book entitled “salvaged chicago.” the book will consist of a curated collection of photography offering a glimpse into urban remains owner eric j. nordstrom’s experiences pertaining to the exploration and deconstruction...
The sheer variety of rare and unusual pieces here is mind-blowing. Between the huge warehouse in Chicago’s West Town and the online catalog, this architectural antique store is like a museum where everything is for sale. From stained and leaded glass windows, to historic building hardware...
urban remains has recently acquired a sizeable amount of meticulously documented original building elements removed from the historic reliance building after nearly 16 years in off-site storage. the majority of the artifacts found in storage were either replaced with faithful reproductions or were rendered obsolete...
sadly, the massive, intricately designed "sullivanesque" unglazed and speckled terra cotta frieze, adorning the facade of the c. 1905 michael reese hospital (designed by the architectural firm of garden, martin and schmidt), was destroyed in early may of 2011. in addition, nearly 300 terra cotta...
the michael reese hospital "salvage" was no doubt a formidable experience on a multitude of levels. the logistics surrounding the acquisition and removal component seemed rather straight forward and largely uneventful in the beginning, despite the fact that we were faced with a partially abandoned...