highly stylized c. 1920’s ornamental cast bronze flush mount petaled floral rosette or medallion salvaged from the cook county criminal courthouse building – hall, lawrence & ratcliffe, architects

About This Item

oversized late 1920’s original american antique ornamental cast bronze neoclassical style petaled floral rosette salvaged from the extant cook county criminal courts building. the flush mount bronze metal medallions were originally set against the wood door casings found throughout the interior courtrooms. examples that survived alterations can still be found in their original configuration. the cast bronze medallion contains a nicely aged surface patina left untouched. the exact bronze metal fabricator is not known. the cook county jail and court house and/or criminal courts building (known in chicago as simply “26th and cal”) is encompassed by a large complex of buildings covering nearly a square mile on the west side of chicago. the most significant building (from an architectural standpoint), was designed by architects hall, lawrence & ratcliffe (also designed chicago stadium) and opened in 1929. a neo-classical design clad in bedford limestone, the towering façade is dominated by eight massive doric columns topped by intricately carved figures representing law, justice, liberty, truth, might, love, wisdom & peace. when the jail opened, it was thought to house the largest concentration of prisoners, including al capone and john wayne gacy to name a few. measures 5 1/2 inches in diameter.