bldg. 51 museum and archive 2022 acquisition highlights

the bldg. 51 museum and archive amassed several historically important architectural fragments and objects, in addition to the evolving archive, consisting of period photographs, books, documents, drawings, blueprints, models, and other related materials that will prove invaluable to bolster the narratives of the museum's architectural ornament for future exhibitions. several hundred artifacts and ephemera have been archived and/or documented and posted online. links (with images) from some of bldg. 51's 2022 acquisitions are listed below.

BLDG. 51 MUSEUM ACQUIRES TERRA COTTA COLUMN FROM OTTO STRACK-DESIGNED PABST BEER PAVILION BUILT FOR 1893 COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION.

RARE PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED 19TH CENTURY BICKNELL ARCHITECTURAL BUILDING FOLIOS ADDED TO BLDG. 51 MUSUEM ARCHIVE

CAREFULLY CURATED COLLECTION OF EARLY CHICAGO RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDING TERRA COTTA ORNAMENT JOINS BLDG. 51 MUSEUM.

PABST COMMERICAL BUILDING (1891) INTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS ACQUIRED BY BLDG. 51 MUSEUM COLLECTION

RARE EARLY 20TH CENTURY NATIONAL X-RAY REFLECTOR COMPANY TRADE CATALOG JOINS BLDG. 51 ARCHVIE

TREAT AND FOLTZ-DESIGNED ORNAMENTAL CAST IRON COLUMN FRAGMENT FROM E.G. RAYMOND STORE AND FLAT BUILDING (1884) ADDED TO BLDG. 51 COLLECTION

RARE LOUIS SULLIVAN-DESIGNED AUDITORIUM THEATER WROUGHT IRON BOX SEAT GRILLE JOINS BLDG. 51 MUSEUM COLLECTION

EARLY 20TH CENTURY DECORATORS SUPPLY AND FRIEDLEY-VOSHARDT ARCHITECTURAL TRADE CATALOGS JOIN BLDG. 51 ARCHIVE

ORIGINAL AND RECREATED EXTERIOR ORNAMENT FROM GEORGE H. JOHNSON'S IRON BLOCK BUILDING JOINS BLDG. 51 BUILDING FRAGMENT COLLECTION

LOUIS H. SULLIVAN-DESIGNED ELI B. FELSENTHAL STORE AND FLATS TERRA COTTA CORNICE BLOCKS ADDED TO BLDG. 51 MUSEUM COLLECTION

EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL ARTIFACTS SALVAGED FROM WILLIAM F. TEMPEL HOUSE (1911-1919) JOIN BLDG. 51 MUSUEM COLLECTION

ADDITIONAL HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT WINKLE TERRA COTTA WORKS FIGURAL SALESMAN SAMPLE AND BUILDING TERRA COTTA JOINS BLDG. 51 MUSUEM ARCHIVE

BLDG. 51 BUILDING ARTIFACT MUSEUM ACQUIRES MASSIVE CHARLES COOLIDGE-DESIGNED FISK GENERATING STATION (1903) WALL SCONCE

IMPORTANT JOHN EDELMANN-DESIGNED RESIDENTIAL CARVED WOOD BUILDING ORNAMENT JOINS BLDG. 51 MUSUEM ARCHIVE

LATEST RARE AND SELDOM FOUND 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY BUILDING TRADE CATALOGS ACQUIRED BY THE BLDG. 51 MUSEUM ARCHIVE

BLDG. 51 MUSEUM'S COLLECTION OF 19TH CENTURY ELECTRIC SOCKETS AND INCANDSCENT LIGHT BULBS FROM HISTORIC CHICAGO BUILDINGS

BLDG. 51 AQUIRES EXTREMELY RARE 1898 POCKET HAND-BOOK OF ELECTRO-GLAZED LUXFER PRISMS WITH INTACT COLOR SAMPLE CARD

1874 HARBOUND "TUNNELS AND WATER SYSTEM OF CHICAGO" BOOK LATEST ADDITION TO BLDG. 51 ARCHIVE

BLDG. 51 ACQUIRES ORIGINAL "TO THE TOWER" CHICAGO TRIBUNE TOWER (HOWELLS AND HOOD, 1925) DEDICATION BOOK

TWO SELDOM FOUND LATE 19TH CENTURY ELECTRIC LIGHT AND SUPPLY HARDBOUND CATALOGS ADDED TO BLDG. 51 MUSUEM ARCHIVE.

HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT DOORKNOB AND WINDOW SASH PULL FROM THE OFFICE OF ADLER AND SULLIVAN JOIN BLDG. 51 MUSEUM ARCHIVE

all images and content courtesy of eric j. nordstrom, the bldg. 51 archive. all rights reserved. 2023. 

further reading:

IMPORTANT ARCHITECTURAL ARTIFACTS, OBJECTS, AND EPHEMERA ACQUIRED BY BLDG. 51 MUSEUM AND ARCHIVE IN 2021