nimmons-designed sullivanesque ornament adorning sears, roebuck and company administration building

the majority of the images in this recent photographic survey of the sears, roebuck and company administration building (1905, and three-story addition in 1914) built by the architectural firm of nimmons and fellows, focus on george c. nimmons-designed sullivanesque style cream-colored glazed terra cotta ornament punctuating the building's exterior. 

more on george c. nimmons below:

beginning in 1887, nimmons served as a draftsman for the architectural firm of burnham and root. he partnered with william k. fellows (1870-1948) in the late 1890s in the firm nimmons & fellows. during their partnership, nimmons and fellows designed several large commercial buildings in chicago. in 1904 they were awarded what was likely the largest single commission in the history of chicago building up to that date. sears, roebuck and co. selected them to design their warehouse, distribution and administrative center on west arthington avenue at homan. nimmons and fellows also designed branch buildings for sears in several midwestern cities. another result of the nimmons and fellows collaboration is the dixon building at 411 s. wells. in 1910, fellows formed a new firm with dwight l. perkins and john hamilton.

nimmons’ experience with warehouse design and construction brought him the commission for a large office and storage building for reid, murdoch and co., built between 1912 and 1913 along the north bank of the chicago river between clark and lasalle. the building is noteworthy because it conformed to burnham’s civic plan and was the first attempt to make the riverside of a building attractive in chicago. until recently, this structure was leased to the city for municipal offices. practicing on his own from 1910 to 1917 nimmons also designed the kimball piano company building during this phase of his career.

working as the head of his own firm, george c. nimmons and co. (1917–33), nimmons designed the american furniture mart at 680 n. lake shore drive in 1923. in the final phase of his career, he was senior partner of nimmons, carr & wright.

sullivanesque ornament:

all images courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bldg. 51 archive. all rights reserved.