24 Feb

Posted at 18:51h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by

shortly before the michael brand brewery complex was slated for demolition, i made my way over there with the hopes of documenting the few buildings left standing. after speaking with, and later earning the trust of the owner (his family's rubber works business had been...

22 Feb

Posted at 04:53h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Salvages by

i spent the greater part of my day traversing congress theater's facade scaffolding, to document the largely off-white italian renaissance style terra cotta, anchored firmly against the structure's steel skeleton. records indicate that the terra cotta commission was awarded to the northwestern terra cotta company,...

15 Feb

Posted at 05:42h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by

four historically important bldg. 51 museum artifacts rescued from chicago buildings demolition or ill-sighted alteration: [caption id="attachment_27986" align="alignleft" width="3427"] extraordinarily rare and completely intact matching set of late nineteenth century ornamental cast brass electrolier sconces designed by louis h. sullivan for the c. 1894 chicago stock...

14 Feb

Posted at 19:29h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products, Salvages by

i've noticed more and more cold-rolled steel or iron porcelain enameled advertising signs being dug from both commercial and residential excavation sites across chicago over the past few months. nearly all of the signs unearthed are heavily corroded with the polychromed enameled finish faded, but...

12 Feb

Posted at 06:36h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by

a sizable collection of all original illuminated interior wall-mount lobby bronze meta elevator "signal lanterns" or indicators were salvaged from the historically important, towering 38-story graham, anderson, probst, white-designed foreman-national bank building during a nearly completed overhaul of the "lasalle canyon" skyscraper's interior. the extant foreman...

09 Feb

Posted at 20:12h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by

with "unearthing chicago" (a bldg. 51 publication) off to the printers, i'm eager to revisit a book project i've had on the back-burner for far too long. after nearly 5 years spent intermittently documenting the henry ives cobb-designed chicago athletic association building (1893), during its remarkable...

03 Feb

Posted at 20:05h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by

a little over a month into the new year, the bldg. 51 museum has been busy acquiring and cataloging several historically important architectural fragments from chicago's past - salvaged from buildings demolished long ago. perhaps the most important acquisition is a rare cast aluminum elevator...

01 Feb

Posted at 21:19h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by

the gargantuan painted pine wood arch top surround containing a centrally located "wheel" motif oculus window was successfully extracted from the milwaukee avenue motor sales company prior to the building's demolition last week. i was truly amazed that the entire segmented surround, divided by wood...

30 Jan

Posted at 19:24h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Salvages by

chicago's demolition delay hold list for 2017 has its first target - a stunning "foursquare" style 1905 roman brick and carved stone mansion designed by frederick wainwright perkins. it has been home to the serbian american museum since 1952. the permit for its demolition was...

27 Jan

Posted at 17:11h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by

this stereoview captures both a chaotic and energized street scene deep within the former "burnt district" along lasalle street, less than 2 years after the great fire of 1871. the stereoview (which enhanced the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis, or...

27 Jan

Posted at 04:53h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous by

[caption id="attachment_27611" align="alignleft" width="1200"] incredibly rare and highly sought after late 19th century leaded art glass skylight panels salvaged from the adler & sullivan chicago stock exchange during demolition in 1971-2. the art glass commission for the trading room skylight system was awarded to the...

24 Jan

Posted at 18:40h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products, Salvages by

the bldg. 51 museum, comprised of fragments from chicago's past, continues to acquire historically important architectural artifacts from the non-extant granada theater, a once a grand movie palace constructed for the marks brothers in 1926. levy and klein were architects of this building, now lost...

23 Jan

Posted at 03:08h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products, Salvages by

earlier this week a 19th century residential privy pit or "vault" was discovered during the excavation of a west town neighborhood lot, where a single story framed-wood cottage once stood. just one year ago that residence succumbed to the wrecking ball. the demolition is sharp...

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