photographing the joseph b. kalvelage house, a.k.a "the castle on kilbourn" with emphasis on its terra cotta figures

for well over 18 years now, whenever i encountered this remarkable german baroque style mansion, built for joseph b. kalvelage in 1896 by local architect otto strack, i felt a strong sense of unease as i approached the facade with my camera. it certainly didn't help that directly behind the milwaukee mansion was the (now-demolished) apartment building where jeffery dahmer committed disturbing acts of murder and dismemberment.

those discomforting feelings have lessened somewhat over time, especially since the neighborhood has changed, mostly for the better. i wanted my significant other to experience this unusual and visually striking residence, resting atop a hill. since we arrived shortly before sunset, or in the parlance of photographers, the "golden hour," the light cast a rather calming glow on the facade, including on the stoic terra cotta figures carefully watching your every move as you approach the enclosed porch.

this might very well have been the first visit where there wasn't a dark and ominous overcast surrounding the house. it was utterly delightful to witness how the light interacted with each detail of the facade. there was so much ornament to process, but i could not help gravitating toward the collection of greek mythological terra cotta "sculptures" (fabricated by the american terra cotta company, chicago, ills.) that surround the enclosed entrance. they are no doubt one of the most distinctive and eye-catching features adorning the mansion's facade. from a practical standpoint, they are much more approachable, where one can engage with each of the figures and, with camera in hand, capture any and all details of their timeless facial expressions.

the photogallery below contains some of the images culled from the photoshoot of the mansion last weekend. had i brought additional lenses, i could have captured greater detail in the less accessible elements around the balcony and roofline. in fact, i really had no intention of writing a post about this house, since there is already a plethora of imagery and information pertaining to this milwaukee architectural treasure online. however, after reviewing images i've taken over the years i was inspired to share the house with those of you who are not familiar. for nearly 18 years now i have been photographing it, with the earliest photos in 35 mm format. the bulk of images captured are of the statues, and only a few show the context they exist in. i'm so very fascinated, but equally intimidated, by the figures. perhaps i'm taken aback at their scale, or surprised at their application in a residential structure.

the intricately designed and finely executed exterior ornamental wrought iron adorning the mansion's facade was hand-crafted by cyril colnik (1871-1957), a notable milwaukee metal artisan, who came to the states in 1893 to assist the german government with their ironwork exhibits at the chicago world's fair. shortly thereafter, colnik moved to milwaukee where he earned a highly favorable reputation that resulted in securing several commissions from beer barons captain frederick pabst and herman uihlein of the schlitz brewing company, among others.