rare louis sullivan-designed auditorium theater wrought iron box seat grille joins bldg. 51 museum collection

an all original and amazingly intact louis sullivan-designed wrought iron box seat grille removed from adler and sullivan's auditorium theater (1889) joins bldg. 51 museum collection. the ornamental hand-forged grille is comprised of riveted joint wrought iron with original bower-barff plated finish largely intact.

the auditorium theater's seat boxes and grillework was executed by snead and company ironworks, louisville, ky.

the wrought iron ornament was likely removed during an early restoration for its rededicattion in 1932, a little over 40 years after the original opening ceremony held on december 9th, 1889.

the architectural firm of holabird and root oversaw the three-month long restoration, which included the removal of entrance and inner-lobby stained glass windows deemed “undistinguished,” giant crystal chandeliers added to lobbies and foyers and a decoration scheme consisting of beige, walnut and gold.

american artist charles holloway, who painted the fresco above the theater’s proscenium in 1889, retuned to restore his work 43 years later.

less than a decade later the auditorium theater went bankrupt and was subsequently taken over by the city of chicago in 1942, where it converted into a world war ii serviceman center, complete with a bowling alley on the stage.

images courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bldg. 51 archive. all rights reserved. 2022.