Featured Posts
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visual record of weese reconstructing wright's francisco terrace (1895) in 1978
contact sheet images of frank lloyd wright’s francisco terrace (1895) taken shortly after it was rebuilt in oak park in 1978. realtor john baird, attorney, historian devereux bowly, and architect ben weese were instrumental in salvaging frank lloyd wright-designed ornament (e.g., bedford limestone columns, lintels and sills, buff-colored terra cotta, face brick, etc.) during its demolition in 1974 for use... -
1902 henry l. newhouse-designed southside chicago greystone's future uncertain after devastating fire
i haven't had time to do my research on a badly burned bronzeville residence located at 4550 south michigan avenue - just south of the swift mansion (1892) that burned in early december of 2023, but i did get a chance to shoot the distinctive carved bedford limestone facade on new year's day. in the case of 4550, the blaze... -
louis h. sullivan's 1914 newark bank revisited.
sullivan's newark revisited. images of home building association bank building. the "old home" was designed by louis sullivan in 1914. the ornamental terra cotta was modeled by kristian schneider and executed by the american terra cotta company, chicago, ills. the richly colored tiled mosaic panel (one of two), caramel-colored slag glass transoms, and clear leaded glass casement windows were carried... -
pabst mansion pavilion - a rare surviving relic of the 1893 columbian exposition on its way to be dismantled again
the exterior buff-colored ornamental terra cotta 1893 world's fair pabst beer pavilion (designed by architect otto strack, who also designed the extant pabst theater) will likely be dismantled in 2024 acoording to several sources, but will it be rebuilt and to what extent. the last time it was taken apart, crated and rebuilt, was in 1893, at the conclusion of... -
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WORK OF ERIC J. NORDSTROM, URBAN REMAINS AND THE BLDG. 51 ARCHIVE IN 2023
note: the following links represent some of highlights accomplished in 2023. the posts are arranged chronologically, from beginning of 2023 to end. BLDG. 51 ARCHIVE ACQUIRES SIZABLE PRIVATE COLLECTION OF IMPORTANT RICHARD NICKEL PHOTOGRAPHS ROOKERY BUILDING BLUEPRINTS, RARE BOOKS, ORNAMENTAL TERRA COTTA, BUILDERS' HARDWARE, AND PLYMOUTH BUILDING ARTIFACTS ADDED IN JANUARY 2023 LARGELY INTACT PAINTED PINE WOOD EXTERIOR ORNAMENT SALVAGED... -
a detailed look at an unusual hodgepodge of victorian ornament adorning edward t. mix's 1881 conroy building
the conroy building, located at 725-729 north milwaukee avenue, milwaukee, wisc, was built in 1881 by noted victorian architect edward t. mix & company. the distinctive 4-story queen anne style commercial building was occupied by james conroy's confectionery and catering business. the commercial building's facade is notable for its use of early terra cotta ornament. i have a suspicion that... -
portals to the past: rediscovering charles b. atwood-designed gothic style ornament in d.h. burnham & company's 1896 fisher building
portals to the past. original interior architectural ornament found in d.h. burnham's fisher building (1896), located at 343 south dearborn street, chicago, ills. the gothic style ironwork (designed by charles b. atwood and peter j. webber) was executed by the winslow brothers, chicago, ills. courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bldg. 51 archive. all rights reserved. 2023. -
tunnel vision: a closer look at recently digitized early glass negatives of chicago's old underground tunnel system
the bldg. 51 archive acquired some glass negatives taken by or for the chicago tunnel and/or illinois tunnel company (the latter took over construction and operations beginning in 1905). the work was subcontracted out to the illinois telephone construction company with george w. jackson acting as head engineer. the photos were likely taken by the chicago architectural photographing company. note... -
schoenhofen brewing company administration building (1886, adolph cudell, architect) and powerhouse (1902, schmidt, garden, and martin)
schoenhofen brewing company administration building (1886, adolph cudell, architect) and powerhouse (1902, schmidt, garden, and martin). detail of the schoenhofen building's exterior terra cotta ornament fabricated by the northwestern terra cotta company. the administration building was designed by adolph cudell. note the six-pointed brewers's star surrounded by richly designed leafage. beginning in the mid-1880s, peter schoenhofen was among a... -
historically important gothic style exterior henry rohkam residence terra cotta fence segments join bldg. 51 museum archive
four original red slip-glazed gothic style exterior terra cotta fence segments salvaged from northwestern terra cotta executive henry rokham's house (1887) in the 1980s, joined the bldg. 51 museum collection of historically important terra cotta earlier this month. rokham's victorian-era home was designed by architect theodore karls to showcase the use of ornamental terra cotta on a residential building... -
stunning space-age architecture: gerald a. siewart's pride cleaners
i was introduced to this building in 2001, when i saw it in camilo jose vergara and timothy j. samuleson's book "unexpected chicagoland," which is one of my favorite books on chicago architecture and oddities. pride cleaners, designed in 1959 by gerald a. siegwart, is located at 558 e. 79th street, chicago, ills. images courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and... -
revisiting louis h. sullivan's getty tomb (1890) in graceland cemetery in 2023
the getty tomb's ornamental cast bronze gates and inner-door were executed by the yale and towne mfg. company. plaster casts were made of the sullivan-designed ornament and exhibited in paris and the art institute of chicago. the indiana limestone mausoleum was completed in 1890. adler & sullivan, architects. frank lloyd wright considered the tomb one of sullivan's greatest works. images... -
detailed study of claude bragdon-designed exterior polychromatic ornament on bevier memorial building (1910),
photographic study of claude bragdon-designed exterior polychromatic ornament on the three-and-a-half story bevier memorial building (1910), located at the corner of spring and s. washington streets, rochester, ny. bragdon designed the building in 1908 as a classroom and lecture space for the rochester athenaeum & mechanics institute (predecessor to the rochester institute of technology) arts program. the richly colored glazed... -
flying to pieces: lastest survey of herman von holst's chicago south side chicago comed station
flying to pieces. hermann v von holst's southside chicago massive comed substation (also known as the gaitan building, 1924) is standing, but the degree of deterioration since i've been documenting it (beginning in 2018) is very alarming. moisture penetration deeply embedded in exterior walls has caused the facade to buckle in some places. spalling of original face brick continues to... -
projective ornament inside and out: documenting claude bragdon's chamber of commerce building design program
exterior and interior images of claude bragdon's distinctive ornament found throughout his chamber of commerce building (1916-17), located at st. paul street, rochester, ny. the building was not only one of bragdon's last major commissions in rochester, but also led to a falling out with one of his most important clients, george eastman (founder of the eastman kodak company), who...
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