Urban Remains

11/06/2026

tragic life cycle of burnham and root's george h. wheeler's house.
the following images begin with a seldom seen james w. taylor albumen print of the house shortly after its construction in 1884, followed by a charles cushman image of the house shortly before alterations were made to the parapet (i.e., centrally located window muntin reconfiguration followed by removal of ornament and covered over in asphalt siding) in the 1950s.
around 1960, john vinci captured the house after additional alterations were made in a riveting yet depressing kodachrome image taken from the street.
the last image - taken by richard nickel - show it in a horrific state (a shell of its former itself) only days before its destruction in 1968.

images courtesy of bldg. 51 archive and john vinci collection

11/05/2026

fall. 2015:

i finally made my way to chicago's decorators supply company after owner bill denis offered me a personal tour of his amazing facility.
bill and i later collborated on the fabrication of a limited edition of auditorium theater (1889) cast plaster dome-shaped proscenium vents designed by sullivan and modeled by james legge.

i photographed the facility inside and out. the following images were taken during my tour with bill (sadly he passed away).

courtesy of bldg. 51 archive.

11/05/2026

https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2026/11/05/landmark-status-lake-view-house-vinci-preservation-movement

Chicago architect John Vinci's home was frequented by architects, preservationists and professionals, including Richard Nickel, who stopped by before heading to the Chicago Stock Exchange Building, where he was killed while salvaging architectural materials in 1972.

11/05/2026

heavily irridized cobalt blue glass 1860s w.h.h. soda bottle and stopper dug at site of s.s. beman's grand central station.

courtesy of bld. 51 collection.

11/05/2026

1930s glass negative image of hot rivet throwing demonstration in an unidentifed chicago building under construction. giaver and dinkelberg's 40-story jewelers building (1927) in background.

courtesy of bldg. 51 archive.

11/05/2026

original 8 x 10 press photo of louis h. sullivan's holy trinity orthodox church (1903) as it appeared in december of 1931.

unidentified photographer.

the church building's interior design program (e.g., walls stencils, chandelier, art glass, etc.). was executed by long-time sullivan collaborator louis millet.

image courtesy of bld. 51 archive.

11/04/2026

another mid-century modern church faces demolition.

The St. Mark Roman Catholic Church campus at 2516 W. Cortez Street, spanning Thomas Street and Campbell Avenue in Chicago’s Humboldt Park/West Town neighborhood, developed over several decades.

Its buildings include an 1896 greystone mansion used as the parish rectory, a three-story red-brick school built in 1906, and a 1963 Midcentury Modernist church. Together, they occupy a 1.1-acre site.

Designed by architect Allan Louis Karl of the prominent Chicago firm Barry and Kay, the church features tapering concrete and steel shafts, textured and patterned walls, an aluminum finial, and vibrant gold and blue exterior tiles.

It is internationally renowned for its striking Dalle de Verre stained-glass windows, handcrafted by French master artist Gabriel Loire of Chartres using thick pieces of French cullet glass set in cement.

After the parish was consolidated and the Archdiocese of Chicago closed the church in 2022, the property was listed for sale to private developers for conversion to residential townhomes. Archdiocesan rules require former consecrated church buildings to remain sacred or be demolished, placing the 1963 church at imminent risk.

images courtesy of bld. 51 archive.

11/04/2026

photographic images of isadore shank's three-story art deco mayan-revival debaliviere building (1928), located at 5642-58 delmar blvd., st. louis, mo.

the neglected and seemingly abandoned building's exterior is comprised largely of richly glazed black and red terra cotta panels with strongly geometric field pattern on the lower floor, with face brick and terra cotta ornament along the upper floors and roofline.
clearly the architect was heavily influenced by frank lloyd wright's textile block system he employed in early 1920s.

courtesy of bldg. 51 archive.

11/03/2026

original construction photographs of the butler brothers company warehouse addition at 165 north canal street in chicago, illinois.
the warehouses were originally designed by d.h. burnham & co. and completed and expanded by its successor firms, graham, burnham & co. and graham, anderson, probst & white. john griffiths & son company served as general contractor.
the original warehouse at 111 n. canal st. was planned around 1911–1912 and completed in 1913. a matching north warehouse at 165 n. canal st. was added to support the mail-order company’s rapid expansion.
construction continued through the late 1910s, with full completion around 1920–1922. the 15- to 16-story complex features heavy steel frames, red brick facades, and a grid-like arrangement of windows.
courtesy of bld. 51 archive.

11/03/2026

early 20th century real photo postcards of willoughby j. edbrooke and franklin pierce burnham's mecca flats (1892), located at 3360 south state street, chicago, il.
the building was demolished by speedway wrecking in 1952 to make way for mies van der rohe's crown hall crown hall (1954-56) at illinois institute of technology.

images courtesy of bldg. 51 archive.