sullivan-designed ornament recovered from demolition of adler and sullivan's levi rosenfeld building (1881)

the levi rosenfeld building (demolished 1958) was designed by the architectural firm of adler and sullivan. the mixed-use masonry building was built in two phases, with the first being a three story section completed in 1881 at a cost of $42,850. the second phase, consisting of a five-story section with stores, flats, and a hotel, was built the following year, costing $ 92,091.

the facade was heavily ornamented with sullivan-designed red slip terra cotta (e.g., cornice and window lunettes), along with the street level storefronts, containing giant plate glass windows divided by cast iron rounded and flat pilasters accentuated with more sullivan-designed simple and restrained floral motifs comprised of individually-cast sections screwed against slightly recessed panels.

the black enameled cast iron ornament (courtesy of the bldg. 51 museum collection) above, is comprised of four distinct sections containing screw holes for anchoring the flush mount plates against the pilasters. the iron and terra cotta ornament was salvaged  - in 1958 - by richard nickel and other institute of design students.

nickel photographed the massive red terra cotta window lunettes while still a student at the illinois intimate of technology.

louis h. sullivan-designed terra cotta fragment from a rosenfeld building lunette. courtesy of the bldg. 51 museum archive.

rosenfeld building lunette fragment with centrally located lotus flower surrounded by large petalled flower.

richard nickel shows off ornament collected from demolished adler and sullivan buildings in chicago. the ornament was housed at his parent's house in park ridge, where he lived until his untimely death in 1972. a completely intact terra cotta lunette from the rosenfeld building is located in the foreground.

richard nickel photographic image of a terra cotta lunette designed by sullivan for adler and sullivan's rosenfeld building (demolished in 1958). 

the framed silver gelatin print (courtesy of the bldg. 51 museum collection) above, was taken by richard nickel, then a student at the illinois institute of technology, with his stamp and signature on verso. the photographic print features the east facade of the rosenfeld building, which by that time was largely vacated. it was demolished in 1958.