mentor and mentee salvaging terra cotta from the downtown chicago richman brothers building

urban remains owner eric j. nordstrom and anthony baus work together on the roofline of the richman brothers building on a balmy saturday afternoon. the polychrome terra cotta ornament was carefully removed and preserved. two of the figural birds reside in the bldg. 51 museum. the richman brothers clothing store (formerly known as the bee hive dry goods store was constructed in 1884 by the architectural firm of adler and sullivan). traces of the original facade were wiped away in 1929, when the building underwent a “facadectomy” consisting of glazed polychrome enameled terra cotta fashioned in typical art deco design motifs.