seldom seen images of depression-era destruction to sullivan's schlesinger and meyer building (1899)

 louis sullivan's schlesinger and meyer  building (1899) underwent major renovations during the depression, including, but not limited to, installation of escalators, enclosed art deco style elevators, foundation stabilization and staircase alterations/removal, original sullivan and/or george grant elmslie-designed elements (e.g., copper-plated open-elevator cages accentuated with cartouches, staircase balusters and radiator grilles) were ripped out, scrapped, or relegated to the sub-basements of the building.

carson, pirie, scott and company hired commercial photographers to meticulously document the extensive installations and alterations carried out by the leonard construction company in 1936. the collection of images recording the construction work were recently unearthed from the richard nickel archive held at the ryerson and burnham. i've begun digitizing the 8 x 10 silver gelatin prints and will post more when time permits. 

disposable artifacts: shortly after the great flood of 1992, a great deal of sullivan/elmslie-designed elements, which also included staircase stringers, newels, and balusters, were tossed into dumpsters when the building's main basement and sub-basements dried.

thankfully, some of the ornament lives on, including a reconstructed elevator cab at lovejoy library, elevator door medallions, elaborate cast iron elevator domes, and staircase newel caps and balusters.

the schlesinger and meyer building was designed by louis h. sullivan in 1899, with subsequent additions completed by daniel burnham in 1906 and holabird & root in 1961.

images courtesy of the ryerson and burnham archive, institute of chicago, and eric j. nordstrom. ornament courtesy of the bldg. 51 collection.