BLDG51. News and Events |

26 Jul wide array of old signage, salesman samples, 19th century east coast soda bottles, faries lighting, and builders’ hardware

Posted at 04:40h 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. the newly acquired items have been documented, cleaned/refinished (if need be) and photographed prior to being added to...

25 Jul photographic study of post-fire italianate row house interior element extraction

Posted at 22:34h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products, Salvages by Eric

in a previous post, i devoted a considerable amount of time to sharing both images and informational notes regarding the careful and systematic extraction of a post-fire chicago italianate row house interior staircase, comprised largely of walnut wood. the inspiration to focus solely on the...

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

07 Jun post-fire chicago entrance door, simmons furniture, industrial lights, and terra cotta from rapp & rapp’s southtown theater

Posted at 14:31h in Events & Announcements, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

07 Jun forgotten objects rediscovered: what the patio theater’s tradesmen left behind

Posted at 04:06h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products, Salvages by Eric

i approached my exploration of the patio much as i had the congress, spending most of my time in the theater’s attic, looking for any and all objects left behind by the tradesman who worked there in the winter of 1926 (this timeframe is based...

29 May rare early 1870’s gothic victorian chicago cottage on sedgwick faces wrecking ball early this week

Posted at 19:35h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products, Salvages by Eric

a rare example of a largely intact and well-maintained gothic style victorian wood-framed cottage built shortly after the chicago fire of 1871 will be reduced to rubble this week. the two story wood-framed cottage likely was built on the site of a structure that succumbed...

25 May bldg. 51 museum collaborates with decorators supply company in making limited edition of recast auditorium theater proscenium vault ventilation domes

Posted at 09:34h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

the bldg. 51 museum is collaborating with the chicago-based decorators supply company to make a very limited edition of faithfully recreated, full scale cast plaster proscenium vault ventilation domes, original to the interior adler & sulivan-designed auditorium theater (1889), designed by louis h. sullivan and...

25 May a 1905 view of grant park from the room through recently discovered photos taken by auditorium hotel guest

Posted at 04:45h in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, New Acquisitions, New Products by Eric

aside from the usual collecting of historically important objects, i have been adding substantially to my collection of ephemera, in an effort to find primary sources that may bolster or enhance the narratives i've gathered around historically-significant architectural building elements or artifacts in the bldg. 51...