over a decade devoted to documenting and salvaging chicago's architectural past

the following collection on posts revolve around architectural salvage operations (big and small) across the city of chicago over the past decade. in time, i hope to revisit dormant images and information waiting to be transformed into posts to shed light on buildings demolished long ago, but live on through ornament and images. 

A LOOK BACK AT SALVAGING AN EARLY 20TH CENTURY CHICAGO STANDARD BREWERY "TIED HOUSE" SALOON DEMOLISHED OVER 3 YEARS AGO

RECOLLECTIONS "SALVAGING" THE COOK COUNTY HOSPITAL'S POWER HOUSE TEN YEARS AGO

SALVAGING SPREAD-WINGED LIMESTONE EAGLES FROM THE 1919 BUNTE CANDY FACTORY SHORTLY BEFORE BUILDING DEMOLISHED

BUNTE BROTHERS LITHOGRAPHED CANDY TIN FEATURING FACTORY COMPLEX FOUND NEARLY A YEAR BEFORE SALVAGING FACTORY COMPLEX

LOOKING BACK AT THE DOCUMENTATION AND DECONSTRUCTION OF THE NORTOWN THEATER OVER A DECADE SINCE ITS DEMOLITION

A LOOK BACK AT THE 2008 DEMOLITION OF VETERANS ADMINISTRATION LAKESIDE HOSPITAL

THREE-STORY BRICK COMMERCIAL BUILDING AT 170-172 . HALSTED LATEST BUILDING TO FALL IN FULTON MARKET DISTRICT

"CONSTELLATION STARS" AND MULTI-COLORED COVE LIGHTS SALVAGED FROM CHICAGO'S ATMOSPHERIC THEATERS

HUGH M.G. GARDEN-DESIGNED ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENTS FROM DEMOLISHED BUILDINGS MUST NOT BE OVERLOOKED

BURNHAM'S LAST ARCHITECTURAL COMMISSION - THE CONTINENTAL BANK BUILDING - IS JUST A STANDING SHELL OF ITS FORMER SELF

UNUSUAL TIME CAPSULE EXTRACTED FROM BETHEL CHURCH (1905) DURING BUILDING'S DEMOLITION

CONTENTS FROM HUMBOLDT GARAGE & AUTO SERVICE BUILDING WALK-IN VAULT SAVED SHORTLY BEFORE ITS DEMOLITION

SALVAGING THE HORRIBLY NEGLECTED 1894 YWCA BUILDING SHORTLY BEFORE DEMOLITION IN 2009

DEMOLISHED JAMES HIGGIE BUILDING LIVES ON THROUGH SALVAGED ORNAMENT AND IMAGES, PART 3

DEMOLITION OF 19TH CENTURY TUGBOAT OPERATOR JAMES L. HIGGIE'S THREE-STORY COMMERCIAL BLOCK IN FULL SWING, PART 2

CHICAGO COMMERCIAL BUILDING BUILT FOR 19TH CENTURY TUGBOAT OPERATOR JAMES L. HIGGIE UNDERGOING DEMOLITION, PART 1

FROM BASEMENT TO BELL TOWER: A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY OF HOLABIRD & ROCHE'S LUMBER EXCHANGE BUILDING

DECONSTRUCTING MICHAEL REESE HOSPITAL'S NURSES' RESIDENCE SHORTLY BEFORE ITS DEATH

DOCUMENTING THE LATE 19TH CENTURY QUEEN ANNE STYLE DOWNTOWN CHICAGO DANA HOTEL BEFORE ITS DEMOLITION

DISCOVERY OF A BUILDING PIPE FITTING FRAGMENT SHEDS LIGHT ON ITS FABRICATOR

DISCOVERY OF FORGOTTEN PHOTO NEGATIVES FOUND IN ATTIC OF 1870’S COTTAGE SHOW ITS FAÇADE AND SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD AT TURN OF CENTURY

OVER A DECADE LATER, NORDSTROM REMINISCES ABOUT THE POST-FIRE CHARLES HOLDEN LOFT BUILDING SALVAGE

SITE OF DEMOLISHED EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY CONVERTED TO PUBLIC PARK LITTERED WITH SENSELESS ASSEMBALGE OF TERRA COTTA ORNAMENT

RARE EARLY 1870'S GOTHIC VICTORIAN CHICAGO COTTAGE ON SEDGWICK FACES WRECKING BALL EARLY THIS WEEK

SENSELESS MUTILATION OF MICHAEL REESE HOSPITAL'S CORNERSTONE REPRESENTED BY SINGLE FRAGMENT

DEMOLITION IMMINENT FOR HISTORIC POST-FIRE 1874 ROW HOUSE FACED WITH "ATHENS MARBLE"

SYSTEMATIC DECONSTRUCTION OF 850 LAKESHORE DRIVE ATHLETIC CLUB'S GRAND INTERIOR LOBBY

SYMPOSIUM ON THE "AFTERLIFE" OF STRUCTURES SLATED FOR DEMOLITION HELD AT SAIC THIS WEEKEND

POST-FIRE WOOD-FRAMED WORKERS COTTAGE SALVAGED DAYS BEFORE ITS IMMINENT DEATH

FULL-FIGURED TERRA COTTA EAGLES CAREFULLY EXTRACTED DURING FINAL MOMENTS OF BUICK DEALERSHIP DEMOLITION

DEMOLITION OF BUICK SALES BUILDING (1921) NEARING COMPLETION

LOEWENBERG & LOEWENBERG'S LOGAN SQUARE AUTOMOBILE SHOWROOM DEMOLISHED

LOGAN SQUARE BUICK SHOWROOM ORNAMENTAL PLASTER CEILING CRASHES TO FLOOR FROM NEGLECT AND ABANDONMENT

SALVAGING TERRA COTTA ORNAMENT FROM ONE OF THE LAST STANDING AUTOMOBILE SHOWROOMS ON LOGAN SQUARE'S "MOTOR ROW"

PARK VIEW LUTHERAN CHURCH QUICKLY BROUGHT DOWN AND TRUCKED OFF TO LANDFILL

STUNNING DEPRESION-ERA ZETTLER-EXECUTED WINDOWS EXTRACTED FROM PARK VIEW CHURCH

COPPER-LINED TIME CAPSULE EXTRACTED FROM PARK VIEW CHURCH'S SCHOOL DURING ITS DEMOLITION

URBAN REMAINS METHODICALLY EXTRACTS PARK VIEW CHURCH'S "MUNICH" STYLE TRYPTYCH WINDOWS EXECUTED BY DREHOBL BROTHERS

ONE OF THE LAST STANDING DOWNTOWN CHICAGO POST-FIRE WORKER COTTAGES IS HURTLING TOWARDS OBLIVION

POST DEMOLITION, EARLY 1870'S RICHARD MAURICE BIRDSALL COTTAGE JUST A FORMER SHADOW OF ITSELF

DEMOLITION ON A GROUP OF NEIGHBORING 19TH CENTURY HOUSES ON EVERGREEN STREET HAS FINALLY BEGUN

BURIED ARTIFACTS FROM TWO-STORY 19TH CENTURY ALDINE STREET RESIDENCE FOUND SHORTLY AFTER ITS DEMOLITON

DECONSTRUCTION OF ST. JOHNS CHURCH IS WELL UNDERWAY - BELL AND TOWER TO COME DOWN NEXT WEEK

FORMUSA'S BUILDING, AND ITS RICH HISTORY UNDERGOING A SLOW AND AGONIZING DEATH

ADDITIONAL ARTIFACTS FROM VINCENT FORMUSA'S "TIME CAPSULE" FOUND WITHIN HIS SHOP ON GRAND AVENUE DOCUMENTED

AN EXTREME CASE OF FACEDECTOMY: THE COMPLETE REMOVAL OF A JOLIET LIMESTONE FACADE ADORNING AN 1875 CHICAGO COMMERICAL BUILDING

ONE OF CHICAGO'S OLDEST COTTAGES, REPLETE WITH HEWN BEAMS, DISCOVERED THROUGH ITS UNTIMELY DEMISE

HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT MID-19TH CENTURY CHICAGO ABERDEEN STREET WOOD-FRAMED COTTAGE HIDDEN UNDER COUNTLESS MODIFICATIONS

SALVAGING 19TH CENTURY CAST IRON FACADE "FRONT" ORNAMENT FROM A FORMER CHICAGO SALOON

PRE-FIRE CRANE BROTHERS FACTORY BUILDING RIVETED JOINT HAND-FORGED IRON VAULT DOOR SAVED FROM DEMOLITION

FROST-DESIGNED LIFE INSURANCE BUILDING'S MASSIVE CARVED LIMESTONE COLUMNS TOPPLED DOWN IN A MATTER OF HOURS

HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT PRE-FIRE CRANE BROTHERS FACTORY ADDITION (1870) SMASHED INTO OBLIVION

URBAN REMAINS SALVAGES CRANE BROTHERS FACTORY SHORTLY BEFORE ITS DEMOLITION

JOHN KENT RUSSELL HOUSE (1855) LIVES ON THROUGH ITS ARTIFACTS REMOVED ABOVE AND BELOW GROUND

LONG-FORGOTTEN 19TH CENTURY BJORGVIN SINGING SOCIETY HALL EXPOSED DURING ITS DEMOLITION

19TH CENTURY CHICAGO WEST SIDE HOLY BETHEL CHURCH BUILDING BEGINS SHORTLY AFTER DEMOLITION PERMIT ISSUED

HOLY BETHEL CHURCH (1888) TIME CAPSULE SUCCESSFULLY EXTRACTED FROM CORNERSTONE SHORTLY BEFORE DEMOLITION

DEEPLY INCISED DATED CORNERSTONE RECOVERED DURING LAST DAYS OF HOLY BETHEL CHURCH DEMOLITION

POST-DEMOLITION INVESTIGATION OF WABANSIA STREET WORKERS COTTAGE AND A HISTORY OF ITS STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

A DECADE DOCUMENTING THE DEATH OF BUILDINGS: A PERSONAL JOURNEY THROUGH 10 YEARS OF SALVAGING

WITH KEYSTONES AND NOW IRONWORK RESCUED FROM LANDFILL, NOT ALL IS LOST AT THE FORMER VOLTZ HALL BUILDING

SIMON WEXLER PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH PAVILION ARTIFACTS REDISCOVERED SEVEN YEARS AFTER BUILDING DEMOLISHED

A RETROSPECTIVE OF DEMOLITIONS, SALVAGES, EXCAVATIONS AND, MUSEUM ACQUISITIONS IN 2015

NOTHING BUT DESTRUCTION FOR 19TH CENTURY BUILDINGS ALONG WELLS STREET

KNISELY & MILLER EXTERIOR CORNICE SALVAGED FROM FREEMONT STREET HOUSE DEMOLITION

A LOOK BACK: SALVAGING THE NORTOWN THEATER'S DEPRESSION ERA ART DECO TERRA COTTA FACADE

IMPORTANT "SULLIVANESQUE" ORNAMENTAL TERRA COTTA SALVAGED FROM A CHICAGO GARAGE UNDERGOING DEMOLITION

COLLECTION OF IMAGES FROM THIS WEEK'S VISIT TO A. FINKL & SONS FOUNDRY UNDERGOING DEMOLITION

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