c. 1920's heavy cast bronze interior stevens hotel doorknob rosette accentuated with a detailed bayleaf design motif. contains a "call" button used to summon servants, hotel personnel, etc. the doorknob escutcheon was manufactured by the sargent hardware co. the 29 floor beaux-arts style stevens hotel (chicago hilton & towers) was designed and built by the architectural firm of holabird and roche in 1927. when the stevens hotel first opened, it was considered the largest hotel in the world. the hotel structure is indented by a total of nine courtyards on all sides. the lobby opens to a grand two-story hall by the front entrance, with a grand staircase on each side. the lobby's ceiling holds a 100-foot long mural of a sky and clouds titled "windows to the sky" painted by a. bonanno. one of the landings over the lobby originally held a fountain with bronze statues by frederick hibbard in the likenesses of the sons of hotel founder james w. stevens. the main roof originally featured a continuous 280-foot tile-paved covered promenade inside an open colonnade. the structure still exists, but the central part has been filled in. the hotel's original lunch room was decorated with elaborate japanese wall coverings and ceiling lamps (long since removed). there was a guest library with 20,000 books, bowling alleys, pool rooms, etc. each room contained "circulating ice water" and bed-head reading lamps. there was a private telephone exchange capable of serving 15,000 people, the largest isolated power plant and so on. nicely aged surface patina. measures approximately 3 1/2 x 2 1/4 inches.