revisting images from the "unearthing" and "deconstructing" chicago archives

for weeks now, i've been shuttling back and forth through folders housing thousands of images pertaining to upcoming publications, including "unearthing chicago" and "deconstructing chicago." slowly but surely i've been finding homes for these photographs in various chapters, where they complement the text. while pouring over these images i could not help but feel an overwhelming desire to share some of the latest documentation of bottles and building components that have been carefully extracted from hundreds of structures and excavation sites dating to the 19th century. this small but meticulous gallery offers a glimpse of the ever-growing archives housed primarily on the bldg. 51 website.

the struggle is constant against demolition permits churned out by the city on a daily basis. it has at times caused personal projects to grind to a halt. still when i revisit interrupted work, i often pick up where i left off, having gained further insight in the interim to enhance the narrative surrounding urban archaeology. it is highly rewarding to push these concurrent demolitions and digs forward, and later revisit the objects and documentation of 19th century and early 20th century chicago bottles and building components i've amassed. most importantly, as i've said before, i feel inclined to accumulate these images to share with the public and any individuals who share a mutual interest in the artifacts buried beneath our feet. i hope to stoke interest in the evolution of residential and/or commercial building methods and materials used throughout the city of chicago from the late 1840's on through the late 1880's -  a period of time when advancing technology and "old world" traditions continued to frequently clash. this is evident in the many houses i have deconstructed for data gathering throughout the city.

since the "unearthing chicago" project has largely drawn to a close, i've shifted my efforts toward collecting more and more chicago building materials, documenting the methodologies "in situ," since it's imperative to address and demystify the unending irregularities seen time and again in cottage and commercial structure construction throughout the last half of the 19th century. looking over thousands of images of demolition sites from 2016 alone, where building materials were documented in context and as objects in the studio, i want to present additional materials that weren't used in blog posts addressing these matters. perhaps too, i'm reminding myself and my readers that a massive database of square nails, studs, joists, tie rods, sill plates, bottles, china, shoes, and signage (does one exist elsewhere?), is readily accessible on the bldg. 51 website as a valuable resource designed to better "visualize" what lies beneath our feet and draw attention to the materials contributing to chicago's 19th century structures - many of which have succumbed to the wrecking ball. at any given moment, several more are threatened with the same fate. with winter around the corner the building and excavation season slows down, and i will spend more time editing images and researching, in a cyclical lull that allows some space - a break from being in the field every afternoon, without time to properly describe and draft the day's narrative in depth.