ten historically important building artifacts culled from the bldg. 51 museum

incredibly rare and highly sought after late 19th century leaded art glass skylight panels salvaged from the adler & sullivan chicago stock exchange during demolition in 1971-2. the art glass commission for the trading room skylight system was awarded to the prominent decorating firm of george louis healy & louis julian millet of chicago. the skylights had been sealed off and hidden since the 1930′s when bell savings & loan added a false ceiling among other changes. when the skylights were discovered by richard nickel et al., the three oaks wrecking company demanded a large sum of money to release the windows to the art institute, who in conjunction with other parties, were dismantling the trading room to be rebuilt at the art institute. nearly two hundred skylight panels were crated and transported to the art institute for storage. this panel was apart of that salvaged collection released by three oaks wrecking. the art glass panel is very hard to come by, considering that the majority of released panels undergoing restoration were reinstalled into the rebuilt trading room. this style of panel (note the absence of pedals surrounding the circles) were used exclusively above the balcony floor (mezzanine level), overlooking the trade room below. the panel measure approximately 35 1/2 inches by 16 3/4 inches.

original early 1920's oversized "wrightesque" style carved indiana (bedford) limestone fragment recovered from the non-extant bunte candy factory demolition site. the exterior facade panel fragment was originally part of an elaborate endcap containing a finely carved spread-winged eagle. the stonework was likely executed by the bedford steam stone works company. the fragment was designed by hugh garden. the bunte candy factory building was considered one of the largest prairie school commercial and/or factory buildings ever constructed. the massive brick and limestone complex was designed by the architectural firm of schmidt, garden & martin. the factory was later converted into a high school in 1969, eight years after the bunte candy co. moved out. the entire complex was razed in 2008 to make way for an athletic field and parking area for the new westinghouse college prep built across the street. the two newel posts are comprised of tubular bronze with original polished nickel-plated finish largely intact. the posts each contain graduating ball finials and angular folded and pressed panels affixed tightly against each post. the flanges contain pre-drilled holes for anchoring into the floor. in 1876, ferdinand bunte, gustav a. bunte, and charles a. spoehr started a candy manufactory on state street in chicago. after a few years, ferdinand's son theodore w. bunte took charge of the business. by the 1910’s, when bunte bros. did annual sales of about $2.4 million, the company employed about 1,200 people. as late as the 1950’s, it had over 1,000 workers in its chicago plants. in 1954, bunte brothers candy co. was purchased by chase candy co. of st. joseph, missouri, and a new firm, bunte-chase, was created. in 1961, the firm closed the chicago plant, dropped the bunte name, and returned to st. joseph.

gold painted ornamental cast plaster interior lobby pilaster capital salvaged from the nortown theater (1931). the atmospheric style movie palace was designed by architect j.e.o. pridemore. the three-sided plaster capital was fabricated by the decorators' supply company, chicago, ills. the painted plaster artifact was salvaged from the north side chicago nortown theater (demolished in 2007). the atmospheric nortown theater was designed and built in 1931 by architect j.e.o. pridmore and the paschen brothers as general contractors. containing over 2000 seats, the auditorium was modeled after the mediterranean region of europe, with an italian courtyard overlooking the sea. the walls gave off an illusion of a seascape and garden scene containing the exteriors of villas with tile rooftops. the audience was seated in full view of the ocean, with lighthouse effect and ships passing in the offing. the nortown was considered the first theater given a pronounced marine treatment. the auditorium ceiling was designed to emulate an "april constellation," with astronomy professor j.c. penn of the armour institute, commissioned to arrange the stars in their proper places to ensure an authentic layout.

rare and completely intact museum-quality monogrammed cast plaster frieze panel or section salvaged from the chicago stock exchange building trade room prior to demolition in 1971-72. the reinforced ornamental horsehair (binding agent) plaster panel features a very rich and intricately designed organic design motif in deep relief. the repeating central medallions contain the "cse" (chicago stock exchange) monogram in fanciful, overlapping lettering. originally, edison "long neck" light bulbs with hairpin carbon filaments protruded from the beaded border openings along the top of the panel. the lightly restored gilded finish has darkened significantly with age. the raised lettering was retouched with gold leaf. the delicate single-sided plaster panel has been professionally mounted within a varnished oak frame and/or shadow box with period appropriate sockets added to the backside. the "tipped" hairpin filament carbon incandescent light bulbs are period appropriate. the framed plaster panel is secure and stable. the two porcelain bare bulb sockets have been wired with braided cloth lamp cord that feeds out the back. the low-watt lighting accentuates the deeply embossed foliage flanking the monograms. the louis sullivan-designed panel was likely fabricated by the decorators' supply company of chicago, il. built on the site of the first brick building in chicago (1837), the 13 story steel frame chicago stock exchange building was designed by the architectural firm of adler and sullivan with falkenau & company as general contractors. the building was completed in 1894 at a total cost of $1,131,555.16. the stock exchange contained 13 stories with the single basement containing both pile and caisson foundations (the latter were used don the west party wall). the building contained 480 offices. the stock exchange was the second largest commission awarded to sullivan and adler (the largest being the auditorium hotel and theater). the building's exterior was outfitted with ornamental buff-colored terra cotta designed by sullivan and fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company. the structural system consisted of fireproofed steel framing. the first floor was treated on the exterior as basement, with the second and third floors as an arcade, bay windows extended from the fourth through the twelfth floor and the thirteenth contained a colonnaded ribbon of windows topped by a projecting cornice with a richly worked surface. the interior contained shops on the ground floor with offices on the upper floors of the main block and wings. the elevators were located at the center of the building. the trading room occupied one-half of the second and third floors. the two sets of stairways were found on floors 4-13. the highly stylized staircase was comprised of copper-plated ornamental iron, oak railings and white marble treads. when the stock exchange moved in 1908, the trading room was converted into office space and later bank. during the course of demolition in 1972, photographer and activist richard nickel was working to salvage ornament the building when the unstable structure collapsed and he was tragically killed. as a tribute to nickel from and sullivan, sections of the trading room stencils, molded pilaster capitals, and art glass were preserved and in 1977 the art institute created a complete reconstruction of this significant room in a new wing of the museum. at the same time, the monumental entry arch of the stock exchange was erected on the museum grounds near the corner of monroe street and columbus drive.

original late 19th century museum-quality copper-plated ornamental cast iron interior guaranty or prudential building staircase baluster executed by the winslow brothers foundry, chicago, il. the remarkably detailed nouveau style baluster panel, designed by louis h. sullivan, was fabricated around 1894. the rare and highly sought baluster is replete with richly organic design motifs typical of sullivan's work. the electroplated copper "wash" remains largely intact. surface wear consistent with age. free from cracks and/or breaks. the guaranty building, which is now called the prudential building, was designed by the chicago-based architectural firm of sullivan and adler, and built in buffalo, new york. louis sullivan's design for the building was based on his belief that "form follows function". he and adler divided the building into four zones. the basement was the mechanical and utility area. the next zone was the ground-floor which was the public areas for street-facing shops, public entrances and lobbies. the third zone was the office floors with identical office cells clustered around the central elevator shafts. the fourth zone was the terminating zone, consisting of elevator equipment, utilities and a few offices. the supporting steel structure of the building was embellished with ornamental terra cotta blocks. different styles of block delineated the three visible zones of the building. sullivan was quoted as saying, "it must be every inch a proud and soaring thing, rising in sheer exultation that from bottom to top it is a unit without a single dissenting line." the guaranty was never meant to be the guaranty building. it was the brainchild of a buffalonian businessman hascal t. taylor to construct a speculative office building in the developing downtown district called “the taylor building.” the untimely demise of mr. taylor as the project was reaching its apogee resulted in the guaranty construction company, having been contracted to construct the structure, determining to take on the project alone. although “the entrepreneur hascal t. taylor intended this building to be a monument to himself,” the eventual monument would symbolize sullivan’s achievements much more than its creators. the guaranty building was not alone among major private building projects in buffalo at the time. two blocks away, the ellicott square building was being built to be the largest retail building in the world. this structure, extant today, exhibits an alternate exploration in the possibilities of new commercial urban architecture by charles atwood and daniel burnham. as buffalo’s downtown rose above lake erie, further feats of engineering were securing the future of the city and the built environment. although earlier attempts had harnessed the power of nearby niagara falls, it was just after the guaranty building was constructed in 1896 that the power was sent to buffalo, illuminating the city with hydro-electricity. while the exterior skin of the guaranty expresses a new form for the steel skyscraper, its plan indicates those hard realities of function necessary to construct such a building and to sell it. the building is essentially a u-shaped plan stacked upon a rectangular solid. the interstitial spaces between wings of the “u” create opportunities to introduce skylights to the lobby below, and to cover the ceilings with stained glass. the plan contained a single vertical circulation core with four elevators, a mail slot, and staircase. no fire-stair was provided or necessary. the internal portion of the “u” faces south so as to collect light for the interior recesses of the building- light being a necessary commodity to attract good tenants. sullivan spared nothing to accomplish this end for: “in order to increase the amount of light to the interior, the stairwell and the light slit facing the inner courtyard were lined with white glazed terra-cotta that was more costly than normal tiles.” the first and second floors are united both spatially and visually through additional staircases and the intention of retail occupation. mechanical systems were relegated to the basement, including the motors for the elevators, boilers, and electrical “dynamos.” entrances were provided on both church and pearl streets. a concierge desk offered services to tenants and guests including mail delivery. above the “base” of the building were a series of office floors of identical plan were placed. these floors featured private lavatories in reconfigurable office spaces. the halls were defined by wood and glass partition walls, intended to give the interior a bright and “club” like feeling. the elevators and staircases were enclosed not by walls, but ornamental iron cages permitting southern light to penetrate through the circulatory systems and into the hallways. the only exception to the rise of offices was the seventh floor with lavatories and a barbershop, and the top floor with a us weather service bureau office and spaces for building attendants. the most remarkable problem for those wishing to cast sullivan exclusively in the camp of proto-modernist designers is his steadfast and adroit insistence to ornament his buildings. ornament is one of the most defining characteristics of the guaranty as “the entire façade of this building is clothed in ornament, like hieroglyphs on the columns and walls of temples in ancient egypt.” sullivan’s ornament is unmistakably original, but it is not without precedents in the contemporary tradition of the english arts and crafts movement. “the numerous parallels between sullivan’s ornament and the architectural decoration of furness make it clear that sullivan’s ornament came directly from furness and, through him, from earlier ornament by english architects.” the context of his ornament is important as it was seen as a salient amenity for the attraction of tenants to his buildings. for all the “good taste” his ornament might project to the tenant of the 19th century, it situated his design within an anti-classicist categorization out of “good taste” in the 20th century. ironically this change was precipitated by the world's columbian exposition where sullivan was the only american to win a european design medal and the only american to offer non-classically inspired design. the guaranty, for all its evocative general expression of tectonics is equally as evocative at the scale of its modular terracotta components. “here the balance of interest between the individuals and the group to which they belong is precarious, and the sheer number of compositional elements makes it difficult to attend to the individually." it is difficult to determine whether the ornament serves to reinforce the building or the building reinforces the ornament. the experiential effect of so much pattern and repetitive design is homogeneity in tension with the expression of individual components. unlike the wainwright building, where ornament is more directly patterned on historical forms and where spandrels are self differentiated, the guaranty is almost brutal in the hierarchical treatment of and expression within its terracotta relief. such conforming treatment is at odds with the supposedly democratic naturalism sullivan claims for the design. especially near the base, ornamental patterns reflect the span and connection of underlying steel members. as the components rise, a rigid pattern is followed, story upon story until the cornice where the pattern explodes into an umbrageous tangle of leaves and vines, encapsulating the windows and reaching outward over the street below. the ornament tells the same story as the theory which created it: bottom, middle, top- light steel skeleton within. the modulating ornament of the guaranty also indicates the evolution of the medium for sullivan as an artist. his initial explorations were inspired directly by contemporary work and historical precedent. eventually his contact with adler and work involving the “engineers aesthetic” led to more structurally expressive forms, and eventually to an art only his own, florid and organic. “from 1885 through 1889 sullivan’s ornament lost much of its former angularity and became more sophisticated and luxuriant.” it is perhaps due to sullivan’s experiences at the ecole des beaux arts that his ornaments as well as his building are given so much expressive and didactic energy. “his evident haste in wanting to set down the architectural vision before it became blurred even in the slightest degree presumably derives from the method at the french school of working from, and staying as close as possible to, the esquisse.” this is an idea he apparently held for designing ornamental elements as well. his sketch for a column capital at the guaranty labeled “finis” indicates the level of development with which his draftsmen began work. while containing some specific information, the sketch indicates more a painterly composition than a design document. curiously, the process of design used by sullivan to create such innovation was precisely that which prevented him from evolving his conception of plan and section to something his “modern” successors would explore. “in embracing the french theories of plan and esquisse, sullivan remained firmly wedded to his time and place. . . by insisting upon the preeminence of plan, he could hardly have begun to imagine buildings with the spatial complexity of a wright or a le corbusier.”

documented all original and remarkably rare c. 1914 exterior perforated cast concrete frieze block salvaged from the non-extant midway gardens complex designed by architect frank lloyd wright. the very limited number of concrete geometric designed blocks known to exist, are almost always found in various states of disrepair (i.e., broken sections, fractures, damaged surface, etc). the largely intact cast concrete block is comprised of three sections that when placed together are visually cohesive and/or a satisfactory representation of an undamaged block. the existing fragmented block has surface wear and discoloration - it was used as a "stepping stone" for many decades. other, smaller fragments are available for sale. midway gardens (opened in 1914, demolished in 1929) was a 300 ft. square indoor/outdoor entertainment facility in the hyde park neighborhood on the south side of chicago. it was designed by architect frank lloyd wright, who also collaborated with sculptors richard bock and alfonso iannelli on the famous “sprite” sculptures adorning the facility. under wrights supervision. iannelli and bock designed all but two of the sprites, and craftsman/cement expert, ezio orlandi, cast them. designed to be a european–style concert garden with space for year-round dining, drinking, and performances, midway gardens hosted notable performers and entertainers, but struggled financially year after year until october of 1929 when the structure was demolished. midway gardens was opened on the site of the former sans souci amusement park on the southwest corner of cottage grove avenue and east 60th street. edward c. waller commissioned frank lloyd wright to design and build the gardens in 1914. construction was completed very quickly, and the complex opened in june of 1914. the modernist architecture of the gardens was based on strict geometrical forms designed by wright. a large, open–air central area, filled with tables and chairs, was ringed by a series of three–story buildings with indoor spaces for dancing and other activities, as well as cantilevered balconies with overhanging roofs. there were terraced gardens, pools, and a music pavilion and stage.the building itself was made of yellow brick and patterned concrete block. it featured highly intricate ornament and many geometric sculptures, which frank lloyd wright named “sprites” and were co-designed with alfonso ianelli. in keeping with wright's style, the building also featured rows of art glass and hidden entries. the interior was likewise intricately ornamented and filled with wright designed furniture and accoutrements, right down to the napkin rings. midway gardens was an indoor/outdoor entertainment center intended to act as a beer hall and concert/dance hall which featured bands including the midway gardens orchestra. the large area (equivalent to a city block) offered entertainment to a wide variety of people in a german-style meeting place. the gardens included restaurants, saloons, newspaper and cigar stands, and arcades. when prohibition was passed, the gardens lost part of their entertainment value. when it opened, midway gardens was an upscale entertainment venue that was also affordable to the common person. max bendix and the national symphony orchestra frequented the concert section because they were the "house band". the ballet dancer anna pavlova performed numerous times as well. frank lloyd wright brought in popular acts to sing, dance, and play music, which created a bourgeois environment. after it became edelweiss gardens, however, the high class atmosphere switched to one of vaudeville, ragtime, and cabaret. in the beginning, business was strong, but waller never could provide adequate funding to back the construction and upkeep of midway gardens and declared bankruptcy in march 1916. at this point, midway gardens was purchased by the edelweiss (schoenhofen) brewery company and renamed “edelweiss gardens”. wright, who generally exerted strong creative control over his completed projects, was disgusted by the aesthetic changes the new owner made to the gardens, writing that edelweiss had added "obnoxious features" and that the whole effect of "the proud midway gardens" "was cheapened to suit a hearty bourgeois taste." edelweiss gardens continued through the war years (closing briefly in 1918) and stayed open as a dry establishment during prohibition. in 1921, the building was sold once more, to the e. c. dietrich midway automobile tire and supply company, and renamed “the midway dancing gardens." finally, in october 1929, midway gardens was closed permanently and demolished. a testament to wright's design, the building was so solidly constructed that tearing it down sent the wrecking company into bankruptcy. the majority of the rubble was bulldozed into lake michigan to be used as a breakwall. several of the sprites and cement blocks survived the demolition because the original sculptor, iannelli, managed to retrieve a few segments. also, demolition contractor, william j. newman, took several sculptures and cement blocks to his farm in wisconsin. many years later when wright heard of their survival, he purchased them and they remained with his estate. other sculptures that escaped demolition can be found in private collections and museums. the concrete block measures 33 x 37 x 5 inches. reference only.

exceptionally well-designed and incredibly rare original documented c. 1901 ornamental cast iron cyrus hall mccormick house radiator grille fabricated by the winslow brothers, chicago, il. the oversized louis h. sullivan-designed grille or grate is so delicate and intricately designed that, according to an account by george grant elmslie (louis h. sullivan's chief draftsman), william winslow (president) of the winslow brothers foundry - who worked with sullivan on several commissions prior - stated that it was virtually impossible to execute the grille's design in iron. sullivan reportedly replied ever so confidently that winslow could do it, and proceeded to walk out the door. elmslie recounted that "four perfect castings" were created by the foundry; both sullivan and winslow kept one. winslow's grille was donated to the art institute of chicago in 1920, where it is currently displayed, along with an owatonna bank teller wicket (of equal craftsmanship), in the architectural artifact gallery that surrounds their building's atrium staircase. sullivan's grille was given to architect daniel h. burnham as collateral for a loan advanced to him by burnham. that grate is now displayed at the university of illinois school of architecture in champaign/urbana. since the commission wasn't widely recognized, the other remaining grille was likely scrapped when the mccormick house was abandoned and ultimately trashed by vandals (which was documented by photographer richard nickel) and demolished shortly thereafter. it is likely that nickel wasn't made aware to the sullivan remodel during the time he was documenting the house. by then the grilles were long gone; nickel would have otherwise noticed and rescued them. unbeknownst to many, one of the grilles was not scrapped as previously thought. it was discovered many years ago on maxwell street - likely around the time the mansion was demolished. the man who purchased it had recognized it after matching it to the one given to the art institute. the partial remodeling of the cyrus mccormick mansion in 1901 was designed to be a "bachelor's quarters" to keep the mccormick's son stanley, under close supervision. during this time stanley was mentally unstable that worsened to the point where he was later institutionalized. the university of madison-wisconsin possesses the majority of the drawings for sullivan's remodeling of the mccormick mansion in their nettie mmcormick papers collection. the exact location and number of grilles used in the remodel can likely be addressed through the exploration of this collection. the historically-important is currently undergoing extensive restoration with the addition of a period appropriate copper-plated finish that will closely match the plating of the originals.

original and unaltered museum-quality early 20th century single-sided solid cast bronze exterior chicago building sign plaque possibly fabricated by the winslow brothers of chicago, il. the surface mount building sign or plaque contains fanciful raised lettering against the original baked black enameled background (used to accentuate the lettering). the plaque contains four screw holes in each of its corners for mounting purposes. the raised edges and lettering contain surface oxidation consistent with age. the building sign plaque was likely installed shortly after contruction drew to a close, or perhaps shortly thereafter. the sign was removed when the building was converted into a dormitory with booth hansen as architects. oddly, the landmark plaque was removed at the time. the landmarked 14-story chicago building (also known as the chicago savings bank building) was constructed between 1904-1905 by the notable chicago-based architectural firm of holabird and roche. the extant structure remains an exceptional early and highly visible example of the chicago school of architecture. the chicago building's exterior features characterize this style through the use of large "chicago windows," a metal frame skeleton, protruding bay windows, and a terra cotta curtain wall. the combination of the north side projecting bay windows and the east side rectangular "chicago windows" with movable sashes is representative of the two typical chicago school window types. the building is one of only a very few where the original cornice remains intact. the building is prominently located on the southwest corner of state street and madison street, with visibility increased by an offset in the alignment of state street. the building is a critical component of a grouping of significant structures, including carson pirie scott and the former mandel brothers store, at what was once labeled the "world's busiest corner." the building was designated a chicago landmark on march 26, 1996. in 1997, the commercial building was converted into a dormitory for the school of the art institute of chicago. interestingly, the corner of the 3rd floor of the building contains the "cornerstone of chicago." it is the 0-0 degree point of the city, and is the location from which all addresses in the city begin. measures 24 x 18 inches.

exceptional historically important late 19th century all original and unrestored american quartered white oak wood and wrought iron potter palmer mansion interior staircase angled railing. the documented residential staircase railing was salvaged from the palmer mansion prior to demolition in 1950. the completely intact railing section features multiple hand-carved panels featuring very intricate floral motifs in deep relief. the spaces above and below the rectangular-shaped carved panels contains very ornate and delicate wrought iron with the original black enameled finish intact. the staircase was constructed by or under the supervision of john newquist. the exact fabricator and/or foundry (that executed the iron panels) is not known. the interior side of the railing, which faced the treads and risers, contains unornamented beveled edge wood panels. the original varnished finish remains in great overall condition, considering age. the non-extant potter palmer mansion, constructed 1882–1885 at 1350 n. lake shore drive, was once the largest private residence in the city of chicago. the plamer mansion was located in the near north side neighborhood of the city, facing lake michigan. it was designed by architects henry ives cobb and charles sumner frost of the firm cobb and frost (navy pier, chicago athletic associaton, etc.), and built for potter and his wife bertha . palmer was a prominent chicago businessman who was responsible for much of the development of state street. the construction of the palmer mansion on lake shore drive established the "gold coast" neighborhood - still considered to be one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city. at the time of the construction of the mansion, mr. palmer was already responsible for much of the development of state street. after the great chicago fire of 1871, the buildings (including the newly0built palmer house) on state street were destroyed, and palmer was yet again responsible for its redevelopment. construction on the mansion began in 1882, and its exterior work was completed in 1883. however, interior decoration by a number of notable interior designers would continue for another two years before the building was entirely complete. the interiors were completed under the direction of architect joseph lyman silsbee. john newquist, who had already worked with palmer on numerous other constructions, was chosen as the contractor and stair constructer. although it was originally budgeted at $90,000, after five years of construction, the mansion would cost the palmers more than a million dollars. the mansion featured a three-story italianate central hall under a glass dome. other rooms were finished in a variety of historic styles: a louis xvi salon, anindian room, an ottoman parlor, a renaissance library, a spanish music room, an english dining room that could seat fifty, and a moorish room, the rugs of which were saturated with perfumes. a collection of paintings, collected by bertha palmer, adorned the mansion's grand ballroom, 75-foot long. the room's murals in the frieze above them were by gabriel ferrier. the architects referred to its architectural style as early romanesque or norman gothic. alternatively, the mansion was supposedly based on a german castle. the mansion's exterior included many turrets and minarets, and on the interior, a spiral staircase without a center support, rising 80 feet into the central tower. two elevators also served the building. the palmers constructed their mansion's outside doors specifically without locks and knobs so that the only way to get in was to be admitted from the inside. the palmer mansion was used for many social gatherings, including entertaining former u. s. president ulysses s. grant, during his visit to the city, and receptions during the 1893 world's columbian exposition for which bertha palmer was a major planner and booster. the palmers also received many other guests, including: two other u. s. presidents, william mckinley and james a. garfield; the duke and duchess of veragua; the prince of wales, later to become king edward vii; as well as the spanish princess infanta eulalia. when potter palmer died in the mansion in 1902, he left his wife with a fortune of $8,000,000. after his death, bertha palmer continued to reside in the house, as well as in homes she maintained in london and paris, until she died at her winter residence in sarasota, florida. she invested heavily in real estate in florida where she developed farms, dairies, and cattle ranches that she administered herself. even with these great investments in land, she parleyed the fortune into almost double what she had been left and, in 1918, bequeathed an estate of $15,000,000 to her sons honoré and potter palmer, jr., who sold the chicago mansion in 1930, for $3,000,000, to the industrialist vincent hugo bendix, who had invented an automobile starter. bendix renamed the property "the bendix galleries," after adding paintings by rembrandt and howard chandler christy to bertha palmer's former art collection. while residing within the mansion, he modernized the elevator, and installed a barber's chair for his own use. after living on the property for about five years, vincent bendix announced that the mansion would be razed to allow construction of the world's largest hotel on the site, estimated at approximately $25,000,000. the project was never put into action, and the property was sold to potter palmer's son in 1933 for $2,000,000, the amount of the building's mortgage. the mansion stood vacant for years until it was demolished in 1950, to be replaced by two 22-story high-rise apartment buildings housing 740 families. the mansion's painting gallery, including works by french painters claude monet, pierre-auguste renoir, and edgar degas that were collected by bertha palmer, were transferred to the art institute of chicago, and the furniture was sold. multiple sections (smaller in size) are available for sale. the staircase railing measures 101 inches x 2 1/2 inches x 23 1/2 inches.

distinctive late 19th century american ornamental glazed terra cotta frieze panel salvaged from the non-extant ywca building entrance surround during the winter of 2009. the deeply embossed floriated panel features a rather unusual salmon-colored glazed finish. the terra cotta block has been reconfigured by removing the hollow cavities on the backside to significantly reduce the overall weight and make it more "wall-friendly" and/or manageable for display purposes. the block is attributed to notable terra cotta fabricator northwestern terra cotta company of chicago. surface wear and residual paint evident. the seven-story red brick and terra cotta ywca hotel (located at 830 south michigan avenue) was designed by chicago architect john m. van osdel ii, nephew of prominent chicago architect john mills van osdel ii. construction of the property was completed in 1895. the late19th century hotel is one of the oldest ywca buildings in the country, and was the first to be built in the city of chicago. the ywca originally used to house working women newly arriving in the city following the 1893 world's fair. located near the illinois central railroad station and within a reasonable distance to the heart of the loop, it was was designed to take advantage of views along michigan avenue and the lake, with projecting triangular bay windows on the top floors and a renaissance inspired loggia dressed in ornamental terra cotta on the second floor. in 1929, the building became the south michigan hotel. in the 1970's the hotel was purchased by johnson publications and converted into offices. the badly dilapidated and structurally compromised building was essentially abandoned for nearly thirty years. the building finally succumbed to the wrecking ball in 2009. urban remains salvaged much of the exterior and interior ornament prior to, and during demolition.