original and historically important single-sided ornamental wrought iron directional sign purportedly removed from the famous edgewater hotel (a pair of exterior sconces and key fobs were included in this recent acquisition). the exact sign fabricator is not known. the hotel guest "information" sign contains a black and white paint finish over metal. the rectangular-shaped sign plaque with slightly raised lettering remains in good condition, with surface wear evident. the scrollwork and directional arrow are attached firmly to the single-sided sign. the (non-extant) 400-room edgewater hotel, which was completed in 1916 (a second 600-room unit was opened just to the south in 1922), stood on the lakefront at sheridan near foster for nearly fifty years, finally closing its doors in 1967. the beach hotel was the brainchild of two chicago businessmen, who called on the architectural firm marshall & fox (whose lead architect, ben marshall, had a reputation for flamboyant taste and adventurous style) to build the resort in spanish revival style stucco structure, in the form of a maltese cross, so most rooms would face the lake. throughout the first half of the 20th century, edgewater beach was chicago's place to see and be seen. on any given night, you could come across celebrities such as bette davis, tallulah bankhead, nat king cole, perry como, marilyn monroe, and major sports figures including babe ruth and lou gehrig, to name a few. by the 1950's, the edgewater hotel began its gradual decline. the city's decision to extend lake shore drive past the hotel north to hollywood cut the edgewater beach off from its prized lakefront. management, maintenance and financial problems mounted, and the original owners sold their interest in the late 1940's. furthermore, with the advent of television and air conditioning, the hotel drew fewer and fewer guests, and in december of 1967, the owners abruptly shut it down and demolition followed soon thereafter. measures approximately 27 x 1 x 13 inches.