another long afternoon spent photo documenting the chicago athletic association building facade

i revisited the chicago athletic association building this afternoon.

i spent several hours moving up, down, and all around the scaffolding covering the building's facade.

 i've made a point to include images of tradesman signatures and the adjoining building, originally known as the gage brothers and company building, with a terra cotta facade designed by louis h. sullivan in 1898.

in 1906 the owners of the gage group buildings retained the architects (holabird and roche) to build an additional four floors, which required the removal of the ornate cornice, construction of the addition, and re-installation of the sullivan-designed ornament.

i've discovered three distinct signatures lightly incised in the brick and/or limestone.

i'm truly stumped over the mysterious and easily overlooked  "michael 1893," which is the only signature (with such fanciful lettering) incised into the red brick.

there are additional markings or "graffiti," in the form of initials and dates, found in each of the recessed limestone quatrefoil rondels located just below the building's roofline, but the prolonged exposure to the elements have eroded the markings to the point where they are mostly indecipherable.

more observations and images to follow.