the building 51 collection is fortunate to include a few incredibly rare fragments from the non-extant frank lloyd wright-designed midway gardens. among the artifacts is a remarkable c. 1914 panel, comprised of cast concrete and originally part of a larger decorative frieze. a very limited number...
the following image gallery offers a glimpse at the latest american architectural, medical, and industrial artifacts and/or miscellaneous objects added to the ever-expanding urban remains virtual catalog (over 65,000 items digitized/cataloged over the past 15 years). the newly acquired items for the month of MAY,...
from the time of its settlement chicago had begun a lumber trade, with a sawmill on the north branch of the river that served the local construction trade, and soon after began sending timber by ox-drawn wagon to settlements along hubbard's trail. sure enough, this...
latest images documenting the reconstruction of the four sullivan-designed exterior load-bearing steel columns adorning the s.a. maxwell building's (adler and sullivan, 1881) storefront. with most of the interior alterations and/or restoration completed, focus has shifted again to the building's façade, where recreation of the ornamental...
carefully studying richard nickel images (digitized from numerous contact sheets last week) of adler and sullivan's dooly block (1890-92) not only offered additional insight and appreciation for the firm's only commission built in the western states, but intensified my admiration for nickel's efforts to thoroughly...
most recent photographic images from bldg. 51 archive's chicago architectural ornament survey (caos) are provided below. the photo-documentation project focuses on methodically recording any and all architectural ornament located on historically important extant buildings located in downtown chicago and surrounding neighborhoods, where the historic fabric is...
the following images were carefully selected from the voluminous archive of prominent chicago photographer and teacher, harold allen (1922-1999) housed at the ryerson and burnham archive, art institute of chicago. his photographs of adler and sullivan buildings taken in the 1940's are especially important, perhaps highlighted by his...
just this week i acquired two remarkably rare bottles dating to the mid-19th century, whose history is tied to the 1980’s demolition of chicago’s lake shore drive “s-curve.” in the world of excavation they represent small, yet important “portals to the past," the scarce remnants of...
when richard nickel located adler and sullivan’s 1883 knisley store and flats along lake street in the west side of chicago– a little-known commission briefly mentioned in hugh morrison’s book, “louis sullivan: prophet of modern architecture”, he spent a great deal of time creating detailed...
images documenting 19th and early 20th century architectural buildings and ornament during first trip (april, 2021) to milwaukee in over a year. i spent the majority of my time revisiting familiar haunts along my "circuit" that arose from several previous trips aimlessly exploring the city's...
demolition of eckhart and swan milling company (flanders and zimmerman, architects) is well underway. additional images documenting its destruction will appear in future posts. the architectural firm of flanders and zimmerman (located at 1521 in masonic temple), designed the flour mill, warehouse and stable in 1897...
several original, seldom found, and profusely illustrated 19th and early 20th century commercial and residential builders' hardware catalogs were acquired by the bldg. 51 museum archive in early april. it will take several months to digitize and upload the collection of catalogs on the bldg....
fearing the potentially violent protest of working class laborers, as well as in reaction to the haymarket affair, the residents of chicago's prairie avenue "millionaire's row" (prominent figures such as marshall field, george pullman, phillip armour, potter palmer and others) placed pressure on politicians to...
the following image gallery offers a glimpse at the latest american architectural, medical, and industrial artifacts and/or miscellaneous objects added to the ever-expanding urban remains virtual catalog (over 65,000 items digitized/cataloged over the past 15 years). the newly acquired items for the month of APRIL,...
the excavating machines showed signs of life as they began opening a formerly vacant parcel of ground located just west of ogden slip (a man-made harbor located near the mouth of the chicago river) in preparation for yet another high-rise (the 42-story "optima"). shortly after they...
the following images offers an in-depth visual study of chicago's extant building terra cotta, beginning in the early 1870s with the use of "gray body" terra cotta "trimmings" fabricated by the chicago terra terra company using white clay from indiana, to the richly colored polychromed...
an original early 20th century granite paver was added to the urban remains collection this week, as a souvenir of the city’s early infrastructure and as an artifact tied to the wells street station that once operated at the site of the merchandise mart. the wells...
for over three years now, i've been documenting the slow and painful declination of one of hermann v. von holst's finest chicago comed substations (completed in 1924) located at located at 6141 s. prairie ave. while the building thankfully dodged a demolition permit issued in...
in an irony-laden location-- between a parking lot and an adult novelties shop-- at the corner of randolph and elizabeth is an impressive bedford limestone archway that once comprised one of two entrances to the loeb apartment buildings. the largely intact carved stone assemblage is a...
a suburban lawn becomes an architecture graveyard. richard nickel's collection of architectural ornament from demolished adler and sullivan commercial and residential buildings grew rapidly, beginning around 1958-1959. the neighbors were not pleased. richard nickel's copy of purchase order (dated jan, 3,...