19th century chicago architecture portrayed through albumen photographic prints

carefully selected collection of recently digitized late 19th century albumen mounted prints of first chicago school architecture coupled with brief descriptions cataloged below. the collection is listed in chronological order (i.e., the most recent digitized images are listed at the top).

albumen print of burnham and root's drafting room located on the top floor of the rookery building (burnham and root, 1888).

there's a lot going on here if you look closely at the image. the coiled wire waste baskets, dietzgen stools, wall gasoliers with deep bowl shades, view of the atrium, bentwood chairs, and the built-in wall safes or vaults with heavily ornamented spiral staircase immediately caught my attention. the desk in the foreground has a few door hardware "samples" that were likely provided by orr and lockett. i could go on and on...

albert levy albumen print of d. adler and co. and sullivan's e. rothschild and brothers store taken shortly after it was completed in 1880-1881. 
the facade contained extensive use of ornamental cast iron painted light gray to differentiate from the flanking joliet limestone piers. 
the building was renovated early on by architect richard e. schmidt when the rothschild company vacated the building in the late 1890s. in 1948 the lower floor was resurfaced in red granite for the reliance mfg. company.
richard nickel documented its demolition in 1972 - the same time adler and sullivan's 1893 chicago stock exchange was undergoing demolition.
thankfully, nickel and tim samuleson salvaged cast iron cornice ornament. nickel tragically died when both buildings were entering final stages of demolition.

images courtesy of burnham and ryerson, art institute of chicago.

a large set of albumen prints were made by photographer james w. taylor shortly after adler and sullivan's auditorium building (1889) was completed, including images of the exterior, hotel, and theater. there were only a few i've never seen before, including this albumen print of adler and sullivan's auditorium building elevator doors and surround leading to the tower's 18th floor observatory. 
the surround, dotted with exposed incandescent light bulbs appears to be copper-plated cast iron, executed by snead ironworks or winslow brothers. the elevator doors are remarkably simple, comprised of paneled wood with "florentine" pattern glass panes and unornamented pulls and keyhole escutcheons.
the rope-pulley elevator indicators are plain, with removable brass or bronze numbers beginning with first floor. from there, the elevator cabs travel to the base of the tower at floor ten, bypassing the hotel and/or offices. the cabs make stops at each floor of the tower, ending at the observatory at 18. adler and sullivan's offices were locate on the 16th an 17th floors.

image courtesy of the ryerson and burnham archive, art institute of chicago.

james w. taylor albumen of walker warehouse taken shortly before the building was completed in 1889. note the stonemasons carving the bedford limestone impost blocks onsite. 
adler and sullivan's walker warehouse was a speculative project for martin ryerson. his death in 1887 stalled the project and/or construction, but moved forward by ryerson's son. shortly after completion in 1889, it was leased to james h. walker, a wholesaler.
courtesy of ryerson and burnham, art institute of chicago.

james taylor albumen print of jenney and mundie's gothic style isabella building taken around the time is was completed in 1894. 
the isabella was one of three chicago buildings that used ornamental cast aluminum in the lobby. the upper floors were outfitted with copper-plated cast iron staircase components. 
the venetian and monadnock were built using the same configuration - aluminum on the lobby level, cast iron on the upper levels. 
the ornament in all three buildings was executed by the winslow brothers, chicago, ills. 
the isabella was destroyed in 2004.

courtesy of ryerson and burnham, art institute of chicago. the original aluminum elevator cage panel and newel post, and doorknob courtesy of bldg. 51 archive.

albert levy albumen print of the sydney kent house nearing completion. note the tradesmen or contractors in the window, the entrance boarded up, the sawhorse and surrounding woodwork located below the bay window, a sign posted on the facade identifying the builders, and art glass windows have yet to be installed. the extant house was completed in 1883 by burnham and root. 

image courtesy of ryerson and burnham, art institute of chicago.

albert levy albumen print of the 6-story borden block office building shortly after it was completed in 1881 by adler & co., and louis h. sullivan. 
the sullivan-designed facade consisted of projecting brick piers, bands of berlin sandstone, and terra cotta lunettes. 
adler and co. moved his offices to the top floor shorty after it was completed. adler and sullivan would later move to the top two floors of auditorium building's tower in may of 1889. the building was demolished in 1917.
after scanning at high resolution, i was pleased to see the carved sandstone panels and ornamental cast iron columns in such great detail. prior images i've studied never provided such clarity.

courtesy of ryerson and burnham archive, art institute of chicago.

albert levy albumen print of adler and sullivan's s.a. maxwell commercial loft building (1881) taken shortly after it was completed. 
the ornamental cast iron exterior column fragments were salvaged by richard nickel from the storefront columns found in the basement after the building was remodeled around 1956. a largely intact column with ornament resides at the smithsonian institution. 
courtesy of ryerson and burnham, art institute of chicago and bldg. 51 archive.

original james taylor mounted albumen print of burnham and root's 16-story terra cotta-clad ashland block, with adler and sullivan's schiller theater to the east. the ashland block was destroyed in 1949 and replaced by a greyhound bus station. schiller or garrick (1892) was demolished for a parking garage in 1961.
courtesy of bldg. 51 museum collection.