original linen-backed period photographic images of graven and mayger’s mayan revival style 3500-seat fisher theater in albert kahn’s fisher building (1928), located at 3011 west grand blvd., detroit, mi. the theater was completely gutted in 1961 - replacing the...

the following images represent a well-rounded cross section of historically important architectural ornament, artifacts, objects and ephemera recently added and/or digitized to the bldg. 51 museum archive in the fall of 2025.  the image gallery below offers a preview of bldg. 51's latest acquisitions: ...

unique cast bronze and oak wood paperweight fabricated to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the opening of ernest flagg’s singer tower (1897-1908), located at 149 broadway street, new york city, ny. the paperweight is a replica of the building’s bronze window cleaner...

the bldg. 51 museum and archive secured an original healy and millet-designed oversized leaded stained glass skylight window salvaged from adler and sullivan's 1889-90 auditorium theater. the hinged window has been releaded within a newly-built solid oak wood frame. the original centrally located ruby red...

over the past week the bld. 51 museum and archive successfully negotiated a deal to secure a sizable quantity of original and intact historically important great chicago fire of 1871 stereoscopic wet plate glass negatives.  after being carefully cleaned, scanning or digitizing of the...

historic american building survey (habs) images of william alfred freret's richardsonian romanesque style brick and terra cotta la crosse, wisc. post office building (1889) prior to its senseless destruction, the extant building that replaced it in 1979, and red slip terra cotta ornament and exterior...

the bld. 51 museum is collaborating with the chicago-based casalino archive to digitize and showcase newly discovered and seldom seen color slides (e.g., kodachromes) of henry ives cobb's federal building and post office (1898-1905) and surrounding historically important commerical buildings as they appeared in the...

last? salvage images of notable prairie school architect walter burley griffin's frank a. windes house (1913), located at 645 abbottsford road, kenilworth, il. house demolition will begin in a matter of days. feeling burned out and broken - not to mention nearing 50 years of age, i...

original pocket-sized "souvenir" medal representing the first anniversary of the disastrous conflagration known simply as the "great chicago fire" of 1871. the unique and diminutive artifact is commonly referred as the "chicago fire medal" according to multiple museums and other institutions that have one in their...

amazingly intact 1902-03 george grant elmslie-designed fret-sawn mahogany wood screen panel located in schlesinger and mayer building (1899, louis h. sullivan, architect) third floor women's lounge and writing room. the richly ornamented woodwork was executed by the edmunds mfg. co., chicago, il.  additional panels - on...

john wellborn root-designed anderson pressed block salvaged from burnham and root's 1885 edwin e. ayer residence during demolition in 1966: museum-quality original 1899 western book methodist concern building terra cotta panel designed by kristian schneider and harry b. wheelock: exceptional...

"and now the cornerstone." rare original and intact staple-bound booklet made for the cornerstone laying ceremony for holabird and root's 44-story art deco style chicago board of trade building (1930) located at 141 west jackson boulevard, chicago, il. the booklet contains a page devoted...

an original custom-designed, black enameled ornamental cast iron interior angled staircase baluster and basement encaustic floor tile - salvaged from edbrooke and burnham's mecca hotel or flats (1892) during its untimely demolition in 1952 -  joined the bldg. 51 museum last month. ...

unpublished louis magnue melander photographic images (scanned from recently discovered stereoscopic glass plate negatives) of the 1893 world columbian exposition taken shortly after it "officially" closed on october 30th, 1893. the complete set of images will be published in book format in 2026.  ...

on saturday afternoon i arrived at the salerno cookie factory, or rather what was left of it, after a wrecking company hastily tore down the long stretch of the building's facade. this was comprised of red brick divided by cast concrete columns, accentuated with brightly colored...

the bldg. 51 archive recently amassed a large collection of early 20th century building trade journal or periodical advertisements pertaining to various examples of terra cotta ornament (often accompanied by commission and/ or architect) fabricated by the american, midland, and northwestern terra cotta companies -...

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