BLDG51. News and Events |

14 Jul bill book 1 and 2: images of original ledgers from the architectural firm of jenney, mundie, & jensen

Posted at 05:04h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

the discovery of several books, photographic prints, drawings, and papers - including two completely intact and well-maintained ledgers from architectural firm of jenney, mundie, & jensen, was nothing short of one of the more remarkable finds i've run across in recent years. hidden away and...

12 Jul sullivan-designed auditorium theater proscenium vault domes now available through bldg. 51 museum

Posted at 04:40h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products, Sales and Promotions by Eric

the bldg. 51 museum is offering a first-ever, limited edition line of faithfully recreated cast plaster auditorium theater (1889) proscenium vault perforated domes designed by architect louis h. sullivan and executed by chicago-based decorators supply company. the full-scale "beehive" domes were made possible through a collaboration...

12 Jul marble fireplace mantels, industrial seating, building maps and booklets, and signage

Posted at 03:34h in Events & Announcements, 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. the newly acquired items have been documented, cleaned/refinished (if need be) and photographed prior to being added to...

07 Jul high noon entertainment collaborating with urban remains on documenting the death of buildings

Posted at 04:30h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by Eric

for over a year now, high noon entertainment has been working closely with eric j. nordstrom of urban remains, filming his ongoing efforts to methodically document and save fragments from chicago's late 19th and early 20th century buildings faced with demolition. the project is currently in development. ...

07 Jul photographing historic building ornament in buffalo during weekend visit

Posted at 04:10h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Travel by Eric

during my business trip to buffalo (new york) earlier this month i managed to spend a good deal of time documenting several buildings that hold great interest to me. i could easily spend days shooting adler & sullivan's guaranty building (both inside and out), but...

05 Jul historically important gustav lindenthal-designed cast iron smithfield street bridge ornamental rosette joins bldg. 51 museum collection

Posted at 04:09h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

in keeping with the bldg. 51 museum's latest effort to acquire historically important artifacts from notable buildings and/or structures outside of chicago, a remarkable, oversized 19th century gustav lindenthal-designed smithfield bridge portal rosette or medallion has joined the museum collection - along with photographic images and...

29 Jun documenting a post-fire chicago row house where time stood still

Posted at 10:39h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Salvages by Eric

for several decades, a maze of cramped and cluttered rooms and hallways hidden within a west side post-fire chicago (1872) italianate rowhouse have remained largely unaltered. despite being dissected into multiple "apartments" during the 1930's, defining architectural elements such as the marble mantels, solid walnut...

29 Jun over a decade later, nordstrom reminisces about the post-fire charles holden loft building salvage

Posted at 10:11h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Salvages by Eric

i was already mentally and physically exhausted prior to beginning the lengthy salvage conducted at the post-fire italianate style charles c. p. holden block (1872). a developer had acquired the property with the intention of stripping it down to "four brick walls" to convert into...

29 Jun a closer look at george frear’s patented pre-chicago fire artificial italianate row house keystones

Posted at 04:48h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by Eric

artificial stone, also termed "cast" or "concrete" stone, is a synthetic product that was used mainly during the 18th and 19th centuries to imitate natural building stones. an aggregate of water, natural cement, lime, sand, and/or various binding agents, the concrete mixtures could be incorporated...

28 Jun eclectic mix of mid-century furniture, a 19th century copper saloon sink, keystones, and a carved cherry overmantel

Posted at 14:41h in Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

23 Jun bldg. 51 museum archive secures several historically important chicago building informational booklets and brochures

Posted at 19:32h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

the bldg. 51 museum and archive recently acquired several books, catalogs, prints, ledgers, letters, and other articles of importance once belonging to the notable chicago-based architectural firm of jenney and mundie; william le baron jenney is often referred to as "father of the skyscraper". when jenney retired...

22 Jun frank lloyd wright-designed avery coonley residential art glass windows added to bldg. 51 museum collection

Posted at 04:54h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

2017 has been an unusually busy year for the bldg. 51 museum. we have had an accelerated increase in purchasing historically-important building artifacts for the up-and-coming second edition hardbound, full-color catalog. this will contain our most recent acquisitions since the publication of the first addition...

22 Jun documenting portage theater’s portals to the past

Posted at 04:18h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Salvages by Eric

the gradual process of uncovering the multitude of undisturbed objects left behind by the congress theater tradesmen, prior to the theater's grand opening in september of 1926, has inspired me to put together a book detailing my experiences witnessing the resurrection of these long-forgotten tradesmen. by...

21 Jun hand-carved artists mannequin, american radiator plaque, simmons desks, fireplace andirons, benjamin cluster sockets

Posted at 14:44h in Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

21 Jun hundreds of world war ii ammunition plant “explosion proof” green porcelain enameled industrial fixtures acquired by urban remains

Posted at 04:22h in Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

late last week urban remains acquired a massive quantity of highly desirable 1940's american industrial "explosion proof" hanging ceiling-mount light fixtures once used to illuminate the interior of a sprawling midwestern munitions plant used to fabrication artillery shells for the war effort. the completely intact...

20 Jun site of demolished eye and ear infirmary converted to public park littered with senseless assembalge of terra cotta ornament

Posted at 05:38h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Salvages by Eric

i've finally made time to revisit a salvage i was involved in nearly 8 years ago- a move sparked in part by rediscovering several buried terra cotta fragments that were packed away. it all began after receiving a phone call from daniel "danny" lampa, owner of...

14 Jun exposed “wounds” along the terra cotta facade of louis sullivan’s gage building remain undressed and prone to the elements

Posted at 14:45h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions by Eric

the giant cavity where the gage building's north cartouche was removed from is now fully exposed. the replacement will not be installed anytime soon. i'm concerned that (at the very least) prolonged exposure to the elements could weaken mortar joints. i'm by no means a...

14 Jun early 20th century graystone two-flat salvage, felsenthal store & flats terra cotta, and rare smithfield bridge rosette

Posted at 14:41h in Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, New Acquisitions, New Products, Salvages by Eric

09 Jun artifacts salvaged long ago from an early burnham & root residence (since demolished)

Posted at 04:46h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

the chicago-based architectural firm of burnham and root was established in 1872 when the two men worked as apprentice draftsmen in the offices of drake, carter, and wight, building several private residences for the wealthy elite of chicago's meat industry. both of them married into...

07 Jun original cream-colored wrigley building ornamental terra cotta fragment joins bldg. 51 museum collection

Posted at 21:35h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

a single cream-colored terra cotta round and tapered fragment salvaged from the north tower of the historically important wrigley company headquarters (1921-1924) was recently donated to the bldg. 51 museum and archive earlier this week. executed by the northwestern terra cotta company, the diminutive neoclassical...