growing frustration over another well-maintained chicago workers cottage brought down by the wrecking ball

the alarming rate of demolition permits issued over the past few years, and the subsequent slow eradication of chicago's rich 19th century landscape needs to stop. wishful thinking of course. i wasn't as concerned or aware of these trends when i was living a dichotomous life, as both a research neuropharmacologist and urban archaeologist. the later morphed into being a full-time architectural antique "salvager." ten years later, my roles are again split, with my time divided between being an architectural salvager through urban remains and architectural historian or building materials archivist (plus consultant and docent) for the bldg. 51 museum. in light of all these demolitions, i've become consumed with work i find more important than ever.

from day one my purpose was to photodocument the death of buildings, before, during and after salvaging materials that could be displayed in institutions or admired by enthusiasts who want conversation pieces tied to a rich, historic narrative. since the building in question was set to be demolished, i avoided the politics and madness stemming from last ditch efforts to rescue a building that had been badly neglected or brought down for redevelopment.

in the ten years with urban remains, i will say this: when the wrecking crew arrives, there is only one man on the site. rarely do i find preservationists there documenting the loss. i have never seen advocates with institutional clout step foot onto a single demolition site. as my close friend tim samuelson has said to me time and again, repeating the words of wisdom passed down to him from richard nickel when they worked together: it's a very lonely world... nothing can be farther from the truth.

photo courtesy of wtt11 documentaries: the richard nickel story

i grow incredibly frustrated at times. i sometimes feel i'm losing my mind or facing self-doubt about whether what i'm doing is worthwhile. yet, after being consumed by hundreds of salvages and taking nearly 300,000 images, i see no end in sight. encouragement from others is like a band-aid, but when a house or building of great significance is facing demolition, i effortlessly transition into the zone where i find it terribly important and imperative to document and salvage everything before the slate is wiped clean. once the structure is brought down and hauled off, that's it. i have one shot to capture all i can and will do so time and again.

despite the rewarding aspects, there is a dark side. i have paid a price. my body is wrecked. my mind is exhausted. working nearly everyday from the time i awake to the time i collapse from exhaustion over the past ten years is often the source of my self-doubt and calls into question just how much more of this i can handle. how much can my mind and body sustain? richard nickel lost his life for the cause. with a family in my life, i find it highly unlikely i will go that route. damage has been done nonetheless. at this point i'm tired of the daily demo notifications. i'm tired of driving by all the green fences - a vivid reminder that one house after another is surrounded by impending destruction.

absolutely no reason why this well-maintained chicago workers cottage needs to be demolished, especially since the former owners went to great lengths to really bolster the architectural details both inside and out.

where do we go from here?