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milwaukee over the weekend: 19th century building ornament, cottages, sullivanesque terra cotta, and a graveyard

one of two figural red slip-glazed terra cotta panels adorning fourth street school (1890). the richardonsian romanesque style school, now known as golda meir school, was built by architect -henry c. koch (perhaps best known for milwaukee's city hall building, completed in 1895). 

the two matching panels flank a long and narrow terra cotta plaque with the words "public school." possibly fabricated by northwestern terra cotta.

i don't recall seeing this color variation - a rich green glazed finish - on a sullivanesque "stock pattern" rondel executed by the midland terra cotta company, chicago, ills. i spotted this sullivanesque ornament on a commercial building in milwaukee yesterday afternoon.
the second image is an original heavy card-stock "plate" from a complete early 20th century midland terra cotta company portfolio housed in the bldg. 51 collection.

images from my first visit to milwaukee's forest home cemetery (1850), a victorian era cemetery filled with some of the finest and visually striking late 19th and early 20th century carved stone full-figured statues crypts, and gargantuan monuments.

the small pocket of closely-spaced graves built for the city's great beer barons was the highlight. i was espeically taken aback by the hulking blatz mausoleum completed in 1896, using over 500 tons of barre granite. the blatz's stone fortress is the largest private mausoleum i've ever seen.

my mind's eye was also drawn to the expressions (or lack thereof) of the many full-figure statues resting atop large monuments dotting the cemetery's landcape. i found many to be unsettling, which is odd considering i'm largely indifferent to such things.

cottages and storefronts:

further reading:

PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDY OF MILWAUKEE'S CITY HALL, PABST MANSION, AND THE "CASTLE ON KILBOURN"

PHOTODOCUMENTING ARCHITECTURAL BUILDING ORNAMENT IN WISCONSIN REVISITED

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