recently published BLDG 51. "museum book" now available for sale online and in store

aside from operating urban remains, a museum and galley, and documenting and salvaging historic structures, i managed to make time here and there for over a year now, devoted to creating and ultimately self-publishing the BLDG. 51 "museum book," which was delivered to me the other day on a pallet. i felt a great sense of relief and closure after seeing that pallet roll onto our loading dock. finally, the long-awaited book, in its physical form, is DONE.

to quickly surmise, the process alone has been incredibly frustrating, yet equally rewarding. i knew from the beginning that i was bound to slam into obstacles time and again since i was trying to navigate through a completely new and unfamiliar terrain.

when the initial conceptual seed for self-publishing a book was planted long ago, there was just no turning back. i had to see this through, regardless of the fact that personally financing this project would be a complete "loss" from a business perspective. granted, i was a little concerned when the my initial budgeted amount was exceeded, but for the most part, spending or making money meant very little in the bigger scheme of things; i just wanted to deliver a book, containing images of artifacts that were removed from chicago's historic buildings - nothing more, nothing less.

museum's pieces in this book have been presented time and again (e.g., chicago stock exchange artifacts) in other publications, but i'm quite confident very few people have seen or even knew about a set of gorgeous polychromatic ceramic nautical-themed tiles salvaged from the old lakeshore drive athletic club swimming pool, shortly before it was destroyed to make way for a newly added parking garage when the building was converted into luxury apartments. there are several other examples...

on a personal level, the book is more symbolic in that i managed to put together a book completely on my own - the way i saw fit. i'm no doubt indebted to the people who edited the text, prepared the formatting for offset printing and all the highly regarded individuals that provided me positive with feedback, constructive criticism and general encouragement to "see it through."

in addition, the completion of the museum book has convinced me to press on with salvaged chicago, the john kent russell house: a case study of an early chicago hybrid structure, underground chicago, and building chicago: a photographic analysis of the materials and methodologies used in constructing chicago from 1840 to 1890.

at least one of the three will be completed by the end of the year, but the first (i.e., salvaged chicago), will likely be published when i "retire" from salvaging chicago buildings slated for demolition once and for all. until that time however, i will continue to salvage, excavate and publish what remains of 19th century chicago both above and below ground.