exciting update as of 6-1-2024: recent images of the fred w. morgan residence (1895?) undergoing restoration. i hope the ornamental wrought-iron fence and gate are eventually restored as well, but i’m pleased that the morgan house and the surrounding buildings have been given a new lease...
the robert j. quinn fire academy is the active training facility for the chicago fire department, located at 558 w. dekoven street. it famously sits on the exact spot where the great chicago fire of 1871 began. site history: the origin: the fire academy was built in...
exterior terra cotta restoration well underway on graham, anderson, probst & white's 37-story pittsfield building (1927-28), located at 55 east washington street and schmidt, garden, and martin's montgomery ward tower building (1899), located at 6 north michigan avenue, chicago, il. images courtesy of eric john nordstrom...
the house with a "keyhole" window on washington blvd. exterior detail images of ornamental brownstone ornament on 19th century three-story residence located at 2210 west washington blvd., chicago, il. the house’s most distinctive feature is the “keyhole” window opening, which originally consisted of a large circular clear-glass...
rees, chase & co. was a prominent chicago land-title abstract firm whose early records became vital to preserving property ownership in cook county after the great chicago fire of 1871. historical background. in 1855, james h. rees joined horace and samuel chase to form rees, chase...
several original 1920s and 1930s photographic images documenting manhattan's ever-evolving skyscraper skyline. the majority are linen-backed silver gelatin prints made and distributed by multiple commerical studios. images courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bld. 51 archive and museum. all rights reserved. 2026. ...
recent photographs of exhibits at the chicago history museum, including the 7000 pound "blob of metal" located on the richard m. and shirley h. jaffee history trail at the chicago history museum. images courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bld. 51 archive. all rights...
designed by john m. van osdel, chicago’s first licensed architect, and completed in 1852, it is best remembered as one of the few downtown buildings in the path of the great chicago fire of 1871 to survive intact. despite its significance, the building was demolished in...
recent photographic survey of the haymarket police monument, a nine-foot bronze statue of a 19th-century chicago police officer, now standing outside the chicago police department headquarters at 3510 s. michigan avenue. unveiled in haymarket square on may 30, 1889, it was the first monument in the...
oversized lithographic print of the w.d. kerfoot realty company building at 89 west washington street, chicago, illinois, showing the structure between october 1871 and june 1872; signed and dated by emil rudolph to his friend john “bet-a-million” gates. the 12 by 16 foot "shanty of boards"...
several newly acquired photographic images of the 1880s three-story lemont limestone boarding house built on the site of catherine o’leary’s cottage (the o’learys sold the lot at 558 w. dekoven street in 1879), where the great chicago fire of 1871 began. the embedded marble plaque marking...
2025 exterior photographic images of walter ahlschlager's medinah athletic club (1929), howells and hood's 36-story tribune tower building (1925), and graham, anderson, probst & white's wrigley building (1924). courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bld. 51 archive. all rights reserved. 2026. ...
slowly but surely renovation improvements are happening to frank lloyd wright's waller apartments (1895). 2022 ans 2026 exterior photographic survey of frank lloyd wright's edward c. waller apartment buildings (1895), located at 2840-2858 west walnut strteet, chicago, il. prominent chicago real estate developer edward c. waller commissioned...
a 19th century, two story workers cottage—built with a heavy timber wood frame, a brick exterior, and three decorative front stone window keystones—is scheduled for demolition today (may 13, 2026). the home stands at 1855 west grand avenue in chicago, illinois. another nearby wood framed cottage...
exterior detail photographic images of burnham brothers's 37-story art deco style carbon and carbide building (1929), located at 230 north michigan avenue, chicago, il. the green and gold glazed terra cotta ornament was fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company, chicago, il. the carbide & carbon building...
images courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bld. 51 archive. all rights reserved. 2026. ...
photographic survey of herman v. von holst-designed commonwealth edison substations (1924, 1925), located at 6913 and 6917 kenwood avenue, chicago, il. public utilities magnate samuel insull commissioned von holst to design several stations in residential neighborhoods across the city of chicago during the early 20th century....
louis j. millet (1856–1923) was a highly respected educator, founder of an industrial art school, and interior designer in the united states. famous for his stained glass artistry, millet worked on projects with louis sullivan and george w. maher, and collaborated with portraitist george healy...
john randal mcdonald's first house. exterior photographic survey of john randal mcdonald's one-story famiy house (1949), located at located at 801 lathrop avenue, racine, wisc. john randal mcdonald (1922–2003) was an american architect known for adapting frank lloyd wright's prairie style into affordable mid-century modern homes. born...
exterior images of graham, anderson, probst & white's chicago union station power house or boiler plant (1931-2), located at 301 west taylor street, chicago, il. the art deco style coal-fired plant with twin riveted joint steel smokestacks and four massive boilers, supplied steam and electricity to...