New Acquisitions

the bldg. 51 archive has amassed several images, artifacts and ephemera pertaining to the architectural firm of burnham and root over the past several years, with the intention of creating a "virtual collection" to be easily accessed by any and all who have an interest in the firm from its inception in 1873, to the time of root's untimely demise...

the bldg. 51 museum's extensive collection of  late 19th and early 20th century "sullivanesque" style commercial building terra cotta is presented below in an exhaustive, ever-growing photographic survey conducted by eric j. nordstrom. the terra cotta ornament was designed by disciples of louis h. sullivan's, including "gardenesque" (named after hugh garden of schmidt, garden and martin) and sullivan's longtime chief...

a set of newly discovered oversized mounted albumen photographic prints depicting - in great detail - william le baron jenney's leiter ii building (1891) while under construction has joined the bldg. 51 museum's architectural ornament and image archive. the now-digitized sepia-toned photographic prints by notable 19th century architectural photographer james w. taylor were likely printed specifically for chicago-based vierling, mcdowell...

the following images highlight important architectural ornament, artifacts, objects and ephemera recently added and/or digitized to the bldg. 51 museum archive.  any and all images courtesy of bldg. 51 museum and archive and eric j. nordstrom. all rights reserved.

i set aside time this weekend to resume scanning piles of postcards amassed over the past year.  i’ve included a few real photo post cards (rppc) of early 20th century residential streetscapes, and a seldom seen photographic view of schmidt, garden, and martin's michael reese hospital (1907, demolished 2010).  the other two show louis h. sullivan's gage building (1899) as...

the following image gallery represents a fraction of 19th and early 20th century american builders' hardware recently added to urban remains virtual showroom. several examples salvaged from historically important buildings across the country will be added in the coming months. all images courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and urban remains. all rights reserved. 2021.

digitizing the bldg. 51 archive's chicago fire collection of objects and ephemera has resumed, with the most recent seldom seen period stereoviews depicting the conflagration posted below. the images of the "burnt district" taken shortly after the chicago fire of 1871. several images were photographed by p.b. greene, who at the time was president of the chicago photographic association. images...

the following image gallery offers a glimpse at the latest american architectural artifacts and/or miscellaneous objects added to the ever-expanding urban remains virtual catalog (over 65,000 items digitized/cataloged over the past 15 years). the newly acquired items for the month of JULY, 2021, have been documented, cleaned/refinished (if need be) and photographed prior to being added to their respective website categories. ...

tragedy, or perhaps irony, characterizes many of chicago's largest construction and demolition efforts in recent history. just six years ago, vying to be the next host to the olympics, the city chose to demonstrate its bid by preemptively razing a 130-year old compound of historically important medical facilities (in the end the olympics went to brazil). the michael reese hospital complex...

in synchronistic fashion, a rather interesting connection was recently discovered between artifacts that had separately been excavated from two chicago demolition sites. initially seeming like a simple curiosity, a detailed 7.5" tall spelter coin bank representing the first national bank of chicago was unearthed from a downtown excavation. the small but hefty architectural model struck me as an especially comical...

an uncanny find this week arrived in the form of a hefty, solid block of stone recovered from the basement of a wood frame cottage undergoing demolition near downtown chicago. the mottled, pink and gray rectangular block is a granite brick laid in 1883 at the center intersection of state and madison.   along with the paver, an accompanying newspaper clipping...

the following image gallery offers a glimpse at the latest american architectural artifacts and/or miscellaneous objects added to the ever-expanding urban remains virtual catalog (over 65,000 items digitized/cataloged over the past 15 years). the newly acquired items for the month of JUNE/JULY, 2021, have been documented, cleaned/refinished (if need be) and photographed prior to being added to their respective website categories. ...

i was given unfettered access to carefully document and subsequently salvage the 19th century young women's christian association hotel building  (later known as 830 s. michigan avenue hotel) shortly before it was demolished in the winter of 2009.  the seven-story combination red brick and terra cotta hotel located at 830 south michigan avenue it was designed by chicago architect john m. van osdel...

the following images highlight important architectural ornament, artifacts, objects and ephemera recently added and/or digitized to the bldg. 51 museum archive.  any and all images courtesy of bldg. 51 museum and archive and eric j. nordstrom. all rights reserved. further reading: SEVERAL RARE 19TH CENTURY HARDBOUND BUILDERS' HARDWARE CATALOGS JOIN BLDG. 51 ARCHIVE

a unique and distinctive collection of historically important metal castings, foundry patterns and plaques were recently acquired by chicago's wagner foundry and its subsidiary, the bronze memorial plaque company. the assemblage is comprised of both interior and exterior metal (e.g., bronze, brass, aluminum, etc.) recast ornament sourced from numerous 19th and 20th century restored downtown chicago landmark buildings spanning several...

the following image gallery offers a glimpse at the latest american architectural, medical, and industrial artifacts and/or miscellaneous objects added to the ever-expanding urban remains virtual catalog (over 65,000 items digitized/cataloged over the past 15 years). the newly acquired items for the month of MAY, 2021, have been documented, cleaned/refinished (if need be) and photographed prior to being added to...

just this week i acquired two remarkably rare bottles dating to the mid-19th century, whose history is tied to the 1980’s demolition of chicago’s lake shore drive “s-curve.” in the world of excavation they represent small, yet important “portals to the past," the scarce remnants of much larger changes made to the city's topography. these small artifacts connect the centuries and...

several original, seldom found, and profusely illustrated 19th and early 20th century commercial and residential builders' hardware catalogs were acquired by the bldg. 51 museum archive in early april. it will take several months to digitize and upload the collection of catalogs on the bldg. 51 website. updates on completed digital copies available for download will be provided when time...

the following image gallery offers a glimpse at the latest american architectural, medical, and industrial artifacts and/or miscellaneous objects added to the ever-expanding urban remains virtual catalog (over 65,000 items digitized/cataloged over the past 15 years). the newly acquired items for the month of APRIL, 2021, have been documented, cleaned/refinished (if need be) and photographed prior to being added to...

an original early 20th century granite paver was added to the urban remains collection this week, as a souvenir of the city’s early infrastructure and as an artifact tied to the wells street station that once operated at the site of the merchandise mart. the wells street station was a passenger terminal of the chicago and north western railway, located...