BLDG51. News and Events |

20 Dec latest additions to website catalog: architectural terra cotta, millwork, industrial furniture, chicago ephemera, and much more

Posted at 15:38h in Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

the following gallery offers a glimpse at the most recent american architectural, medical, and industrial artifacts and/or miscellaneous objects added to our ever-expanding urban remains virtual catalog (over 30,000 catalog listings to date). the newly acquired items have been documented, cleaned/refinished (if need be) and...

20 Dec demolished james higgie building lives on through salvaged ornament and images, part 3

Posted at 00:01h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Salvages by Eric

by eric j. nordstrom and ornament chicago By the 1940s onward the J.L. Higgie building had begun a protracted period of what could be considered gradual decline. In this postcard from the 1940s one notes the classic bell shaped roofs from the earlier 1920s photo are...

15 Dec demolition of 19th century tugboat operator james l. higgie’s three-story commercial block in full swing, part 2

Posted at 23:03h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Salvages by Eric

[caption id="attachment_34392" align="alignleft" width="900"] ogen avenue facade with terra cotta name plaque in place.[/caption] by Eric J. Nordstrom and Ornament Chicago: As another exhausting week continues additional details of the family behind the curious wedge-shaped J. L. Higgie building continue to emerge. After some more research...

12 Dec revisiting congress theater’s plenum chambers produces additional finds from the distant past

Posted at 23:30h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, Salvages by Eric

after a much-needed break from the bowels of congress theater, i spent the remainder of my time there traversing the auditorium's upper balcony plenum chambers hoping to discover more objects discarded by moviegoers beginning around the time the theater opened in 1926. thankfully, i was...

12 Dec a photographic study of congress theater’s original basement level mechanical and electrical equipment

Posted at 00:13h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Salvages by Eric

an extensive photographic record of congress theater's basement level mechanical equipment was completed late last week. the utilization of multiple camera lenses was required to accurately capture both surface details and systems found throughout the subterranean space, located directly beneath the lobby floor. additionally, images...

09 Dec privy vault with scattered remnants unearthed behind a pre-fire chicago residence on erie street

Posted at 12:47h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products, Salvages by Eric

a largely intact circular pine wood privy pit or "vault" floor was discovered during excavation of a site where a pre-fire chicago residence succumbed to the wrecking ball. i was busy documenting the sill plate configuration of a nearby wood frame house when i got wind...

08 Dec a photographic survey of exterior terra cotta ornament adorning adler & sullivan’s ann halsted flats

Posted at 19:50h in Bldg. 51, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by Eric

ann pinegar halsted was the sole executrix of henry s. halsted's legacy, and as she took over the reins of his water vessel business, she decided to change her living situation. in 1883 she began discussions with new architectural partners dankmar adler and louis sullivan...

07 Dec chicago’s art deco carbon and carbide building undergoes facade restoration

Posted at 16:35h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by Eric

day 1: the 37-story carbon and carbide building (1929) appears to be undergoing facade restoration. i did notice cavities covered over with plywood - mainly along the east facade. i was a bit rushed, so will have to revisit and...

05 Dec chicago commercial building built for 19th century tugboat operator james l. higgie undergoing demolition, part 1

Posted at 22:03h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Salvages by Eric

[caption id="attachment_34252" align="alignleft" width="620"] a late 19th or early 20th century chicago tugboat.[/caption] facing its impending destruction, the wedge-shaped j.l. higgie building has piqued my interests; perhaps moreso because of the lack of information out there surrounding the building itself, and the plethora of accolades following...

05 Dec photographic survey of the “lake-franklin” post-fire commercial building window hoods

Posted at 04:58h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by Eric

a closer look at window hood ornament found on the italianate style facades of the "lake-franklin group" of post-fire buildings constructed shortly after the great chicago fire. the quartet represents the largest concentration of post-fire commercial buildings in the loop. burling and adler designed two...

30 Nov after 10 years of searching, bldg. 51 museum archive secures original 1910 northwestern terra cotta company catalog

Posted at 19:45h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

[caption id="attachment_34103" align="alignleft" width="727"] c. 1910 northwestern terra cotta company catalog cover.[/caption] the northwestern terra cotta company was founded in chicago in 1877 by a group of investors that included john r. true. the company became a major producer of terra cotta trimmings used by the...

30 Nov documenting the woolworth building inside and out

Posted at 02:32h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Travel by Eric

this month marks the second trip i’ve taken to new york to document american architecture, and the cross-over of preservation happening in the two cities. this summer i pursued a fragment of the historic gage building (1899) being replicated in buffalo at the boston...

29 Nov former chicago evening post building undergoing facade restoration

Posted at 17:07h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by Eric

i continue to document historic buildings undergoing restoration/renovations in chicago’s downtown at a feverish pace. i've noticed there is little - if any - public attention directed at the "sky boys" who spend their days working high above on scaffolding replacing, repairing, and recreating terra cotta and...

29 Nov newly added website inventory acquired over the past two weeks

Posted at 15:52h in Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

28 Nov the albert w. sullivan house (1892) was outfitted with “kelp” pattern door hardware

Posted at 04:35h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

the bldg. 51 museum collection houses historically important examples of unusual and intricately designed escutcheons, doorknobs, rosettes, doorbell push button plates and other house trimmings known as the "kelp" pattern. the "stock" hardware was executed by the yale & towne mfg. company, stamford, ct. the...

25 Nov a photographic study of john wellborn root’s rookery building ornamental terra cotta

Posted at 23:15h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by Eric

the image gallery offers a selection of images taken from a recent shoot where i systematically documented john root-designed ornamental terra cotta adorning the west facade of the rookery building (1888). the northwestern terra cotta company executed the terra cotta for burnham & root's rookery...

24 Nov valdemar mortonsen two-story brick cottage threatened with demolition

Posted at 22:57h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by Eric

a unique and largely unaltered 1870's brick cottage on ohio street (west town neighborhood) i've been watching for years is now for sale. it's a rather unusual workers cottage, with overpowering faceted panel keystones accentuated with anthemions. i'm convinced the window hoods are comprised of...

21 Nov latest photographic images of jewelers’ building ongoing exterior restoration

Posted at 17:33h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by Eric

my ongoing effort documenting the jewelers building at 35 e wacker has intensified over the past week, when the northwest turret (one of four designed to conceal water tanks) was fully exposed with newly added terra cotta - executed by boston valley terra cotta. more to...

18 Nov john a. kling commercial building (1871) demolished shortly after gutted by fire

Posted at 19:42h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by Eric

at the surface level, the recent fire at 695 north milwaukee was a devastating blow to the owners of a couple of local restaurants and entertainment companies. however when i dig deeper, it also becomes apparent that this location had a rich past with local...

15 Nov back-to-back demolitions on dayton street a devastating blow to chicago’s 19th century cityscape

Posted at 22:01h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by Eric

demolition begins today at 2219 n. dayton. the early to mid-1880's two-flat is amazingly intact, with stamped tin bracketed cornice, marble mantels, and cast plaster ceiling escutcheons. the double door entrance, with centrally located corbel, raised panel jamb, and transoms are all original. the interior...