a photographic survey of early 1880's terra cotta ornament found on extant chicago buildings

the images contained within this post represent a small fraction of extant early 1880's chicago buildings, dressed with red slip terra cotta ornament designed and fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company, chicago, ills. the majority of the terra cotta documented is "stock" ornament - made widely available through the company's period catalogs. 

the northwestern terra cotta company was founded in chicago in 1877 by a group of investors that included john r. true. the company became a major producer of terra cotta trimmings used by the construction industry. by the beginning of the 20th century, architectural terra cotta was firmly established as america's premier material for detailing commercial structures, especially the new, steel-framed skyscrapers then rising in chicago and new york city.

after the devastating chicago fire of 1871, the fireproof qualities of this ancient, baked-clay form propelled its acceptance as a less expensive and lightweight alternative stone. to direct both production and installation, the studio’s draftsmen transformed architectural blueprints into comprehensive "shop drawings" that identified exactly where and how each puzzle-like piece would be secured to its supporting structure. favored by such international architectural luminaries as louis h. sullivan, daniel burnham, frank lloyd wright, and albert kahn, the company ultimately contributed to thousands of buildings across the country in a wide array of styles. by the early 1890's, when northwestern terra cotta employed approximately 500 men, annual sales approached $600,000. it was during this era that the company successfully recruited european craftsmen to join the firm as sculptors in its modeling shop. these highly skilled artists could earn three or four times as much as a less skilled laborer at the same factory.

northwestern terra cotta targeted its client base by advertising in trade journals such as american architect and they wasted no time promoting its involvement in the construction of the distinctive wrigley building—the first skyscraper completely clad "from sidewalk to searchlight" in terra cotta. not only was the gleaming white-enamel office tower chicago's tallest structure at that time, it was the first of a series that inaugurated new development north of the chicago river. northwestern's operations in chicago declined alongside the construction industry during the great depression, and was eclipsed by modernist curtain walls of glass, exposed steel, and concrete. in 1965, northwestern terra cotta co.'s only remaining plant in denver closed.

a photographic survey of 1880's northwestern terra cotta building ornament: