all original antique c. mid-1870's heavily illustrated envelope for the palmer house hotel. the rectangular paper features a central image on the back rendering the third iteration of the palmer house in intricate black and white detail, criss-crossed by fold lines. the building depicted was designed by john m. van osdel at the southeast corner of south state street and east monroe. the image is labeled underneath "palmer house, chicago / potter palmer, proprietor" and is surrounded on all sides by text announcing the establishment's attributes, "entirely fireproof / the largest and best furnished hotel in the world / 650 guest rooms" as well as listing costs. the advertisement cites the cost of the building at $2 million, and the cost of furniture at $350,000. vertical text at the side edges puts 100 rooms each available at $4.50 or $5.00 per day, and 150 rooms each available for $3.00, $3.50, or $4.00 per day. the palmer house hotel was a luxury hotel for presidents, dignitaries, and businesspeople visiting chicago. the proprietor, potter palmer, opened the first palmer house with 225 rooms in 1870. a second palmer house was under construction nearby, but both buildings were razed by the conflagration of 1871. palmer quickly rebuilt the next iteration of the venture, even going so far as to employ calcium lights so workers could keep going through the night. the seven-story, $13 million building that resulted was opened in 1875, and boasted lavish interiors with italian marble, rare mosaics, and a purportedly fireproof structure. the building stood for fifty years, until in 1925 it was replaced by the extant $20 million 25-story hotel.