11 Oct engine room
product arrangement photographed by eric j. nordstrom...
29 Sep rare federal riveted and welded joint “expanded metal type” lockers from a steam engine assembly plant
we just acquired a large lot on very rare and highly sought after "expanded metal type" freestanding lockers designed and fabricated by the federal steel fixture company (chicago, il.). the thoroughly ventilated locker system was often assembled with no. 13 gauge diamond mesh expanded metal and...
22 Sep overhaul of urban remains showroom for fall 2013
the urban remains showroom will undergo a mild overhaul during the fall of 2013. additional retired or decommissioned artifacts from my personal collection will be brought over to complement or enhance the existing items already available for sale at the showroom. the core of my...
15 Sep revisiting old cook county hospital.
i was returning from a demolition site the other day when i decided to make a detour to revisit the old abandoned cooky county hospital, which is considered to be one of the best remaining examples of beaux arts-style architecture in the city of chicago....
05 Sep eric j. nordstrom’s photography will be featured in the urban remains showroom this fall
a mostly random assemblage of photographic prints taken by eric j. nordstrom will go on display in the urban remains showroom beginning in fall of 2013. the majority of the prints will be matted and framed. some will be for sale, while others will be...
29 Aug several highly desirable c. 1920’s factory swing-out seat tables arrived this week
we recently acquired multiple early 20th century factory lunchroom swing-out seat tables fabricated by the chicago hardware foundry company, chicago, il. the large assemblage of unrestored components provide us with greater flexibility to reconfigure the tables into any number of multi-seat arrangements (i.e., 4, 8,...
25 Aug mentor and mentee salvaging terra cotta from the downtown chicago richman brothers building
urban remains owner eric j. nordstrom and anthony baus work together on the roofline of the richman brothers building on a balmy saturday afternoon. the polychrome terra cotta ornament was carefully removed and preserved. two of the figural birds reside in the bldg. 51 museum....
19 Aug yet another distinctive chicago double-sided neon “can” advertising sign lost
i just recently discovered that this well-maintained and fully functional chicago advertising neon "can" sign (see above) has been taken down and hauled off to the scrapyard. why not contact us? so incredibly frustrating. the art deco streamlined style "exterminators" sign still retained a vibrant...
13 Aug a huge load of c. 1918 towsley factory furniture carts arrived earlier this week
over the past few days urban remains has been consumed in removing a large load of mobile industrial carts or "floor trucks" from the burhop paper company factory complex, located west of downtown chicago. the incredibly robust, shopworn carts were designed and fabricated by the...
07 Aug visit the digital chicago stock exchange website
the 2009-2010 Emerging Media Innovation Grant team Michele Chiuini (architecture) and John Fillwalk (IDIA) launched the Digital Chicago Stock Exchange website, the result of their work to virtually reconstruct portions of the 1894 Chicago Stock Exchange building, designed by the famous duo Adler and Sullivan. The...
04 Aug mastery of organic expression
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 &...
28 Jul urban remains prepares for expansion in early 2014.
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...
28 Jul north side chicago funeral home and morgue salvage in progress
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...
09 Jul edwin s. hartwell residences facing wrecking ball
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...
02 Jul Salvaged Chicago by Eric J. Nordstrom
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...
05 Jun The Artful Salvager: Eric Nordstrom’s Urban Remains By Francesca Robin | Published: 6/5/2013
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...
24 Jul sizable acquisition of historically important reliance building artifacts arrives…
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...
29 May remarkable c. 1905 michael reese hospital “sullivanesque” exterior terra cotta frieze panel obliberated
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...