Miscellaneous

new york city subway incandescent light fixtures... there isn't a substantial amount of information (readily available, that is) about their design and/or use in the subway stations dotting the underground manhattan landscape. early 20th century periodicals or trade journals provide some, albeit scant, details pertaining to the lighting employed. over and over i stumble upon vague descriptions alluding to "bronze...

this diminutive early american industrial iron and steel contraption - identified simply as an "adjustable supporter" or knuckle joint, was patented by otis c. white (a dental surgeon from hopkinton, massachusetts) in 1893 for use with electric lamps or lighting, that over time, would gain widespread use in factory and/or various commercial settings throughout the country. the "lamp supporter" or compound swiveling...

photographic composition of "sullivanesque" by eric j. nordstrom  

the images below depict a rare, joseph f. l. uhl-designed chair patented in 1902 (considered a precursor to the slightly modified "perfection" chair) and manufactured by the uhl brothers company, toledo, oh. this early prototype was advertised as a new and useful improvement in the construction of metal furniture (at the time, twisted metal furniture was mostly predominant during the...

after photodocumenting the chicago athletic association building for weeks now, i focused my camera on the unusual and greatly oversized cast plaster chandelier at the foot of the grand staircase leading to the upper level or balcony of the swimming or "plunge" room. i suspected the chandelier and the matching candelabra sconces and heavily ornamented coffered ceiling, replete with highly...

the urban remains hardbound coffee table book featuring photography from salvages i've been apart of is moving along at a very healthy pace now. i'm hoping to include a dvd tucked inside, containing supplemental material (e.g., a salvage in progress, etc). the book will likely be available beginning fall 2014. the 500+ page softbound book or catalog containing my personal collection...

the first national bank & trust company building was built in 1920 with a heavy neoclassical presence both on the inside and out. the exterior contained an ornamental facade consisting of carved bedford limestone featuring detailed winged griffins. the interior was outfitted with nickel and chrome plated bronze work, ornamental plaster and marble paneling throughout. designed in the 1920's by...

December 05, 2013, 11:41 AM By Ruby Hazael Illinois, USA - Eric Nordstrom sent through an email last week about a sale he was having on the Urban Remains website. He also sent a photo of some of his personal collection of architectural antiques. Eric said 'I am a collector at heart. I have to apologise to visitors for all the...

the tower club was initially known as the electric club, founded in 1916 by opera enthusiast samuel insull, who established commonwealth edison and, according to legend, was the inspiration for monopoly character rich "uncle pennybags". the club, located at north dearborn street and west calhoun place, was originally an elite fellowship for titans of the electrical industry. after insull commissioned...

Dan Doyle on Designing an Industrial Kitchen Dan Doyle discusses how he designed a sturdy, industrial kitchen in St. Helena, California. By Christine Pittel Christine Pittel: You're tough! I see raw steel, rough wood, open shelves... Dan Doyle: I like open shelves. I did one sketch with standard upper cabinets, but it looked too tame. My wife said we'd be dusting glasses...

the light was right. the scaffolding was in place and easily accessible. i spent a great deal of time documenting the exterior - especially the carved limestone columns and capitals (the stone setter was john arnold), and the art glass windows designed by healy ad millet. i hope a get chance to photodocument the annex (both additions) containing some visually...

i was pleasantly surprised when i discovered this "gardenesque" plaster ornament while photodocumenting the interior of the chicago athletic association annex (commonly referred to as the "madison building" by club members). the cast plaster corbels were revealed recently during renovations, after being hidden for years from senseless alterations. unfortunately, there is considerable damage evident, so whether or not they will...

completely and utterly exhausted. worked 13 hours straight. removed several truckloads of salvaged items from the chicago athletic club. fortunately, nearly all of the historically significant architectural elements from the original 1893 building (henry ives cobb, architect) and the 1907 "michigan building" addition (schmidt, garden & martin, architects) will be carefully restored and reincorporated into the final design as a...

ACTIVE DISCUSSIONS/NEWEST POSTS WRIGHT STUFF  An Architectural blog struck gold with photos and intel from a reader that suggest Frank Lloyd Wright's William Winslow House is being prepped for sale in River Forest for around $2M. The tipster, Anthony Thompson, befriended the owner and wound up inside the large 1893 home— one of Wright's earliest independent projects. Thompson's photos are thumbnailed at right and catalogued on Flickr...

product arrangement photographed by eric j. nordstrom

i just recently discovered that this well-maintained and fully functional chicago advertising neon "can" sign  (see above) has been taken down and hauled off to the scrapyard. why not contact us? so incredibly frustrating. the art deco streamlined style "exterminators" sign still retained a vibrant color scheme in the form of baked porcelain enamel over cold-rolled steel. such a tragic...

The sheer variety of rare and unusual pieces here is mind-blowing. Between the huge warehouse in Chicago’s West Town and the online catalog, this architectural antique store is like a museum where everything is for sale. From stained and leaded glass windows, to historic building hardware and 1920s Farie lamps, Toledo stools and industrial tables, antique electrical devices, the odd...