Society of Architectural Historians - Chicago Chapter

Nov. 8TH Book Presentation at AIA Chicago: THE LOST PANORAMAS: When Chicago Changed its River And the Land Beyond

2011-10-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Society of Architectural Historians Chicago Chapter Presents

THE LOST PANORAMAS:

When Chicago Changed its River And the Land Beyond
by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, City Files Press, 2011

Reception, lecture and signing with the authors at American Institute of Architects Chicago Office

When: Tuesday, November 8

5:30 p.m. Reception - 6:00 Program

Where: AIA Chicago, 35 E. Wacker Dr, #250

Cost: SAH Chicago Members $10.00; Non-members $15.00. Pay at door.

Reservations Required.

In 1894, photographers set out to document the reversal of the Chicago River, an engineering feat known at the time as the eighth wonder of the world. They took 22,000 photographs that are more meaningful today than ever before. And like all evocative photographs, they act as metaphors. This is the untold story of an audacious scheme as well as the consequences. It is the story of how a big city sacrificed the natural world in order to survive and prosper.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED.

RSVP to: sahchicago@gmail.com or by phone to 708-358-1394

Space is limited. Reserve early.

Images (Top to Bottom): Chicago River at State Street - 1902, Chicago River at Adams Street - 1911,

All images courtesy City Files Press.

John Storrs: Machine Age Modernist (Ceres Explained)

2011-10-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Art Deco Society Presents, with community partner SAH Chicago Chapter:
John Storrs: Machine-Age Modernist
with author Debra Bricker Balken
October 15, 2011 – 1:30 pm

Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago
Chicago Art Deco Society Members - $20.00, Non-members - $25.00
John Storrs (1885–1956) was one of the most important modernist sculptors to emerge in the early 20th century. During the 1910s and ’20s, he divided his time between his native Chicago and Paris, where he found a community of like minded artists committed to invention and to redefining traditional art forms. After studying with Auguste Rodin in 1913, Storrs re-invigorated the largely academic medium of sculpture with a radicalism then unknown in America.

The recent exhibition John Storrs: Machine Age Modernist was curated by Debra Bricker Balken and organized for the Boston Athenæum by David B. Dearinger, Susan Morse Hilles Curator of Paintings and Sculpture.

Click here for flier.

Two In October: Dart with DOCOMOMO & Prairie Avenue with Bill Tyre

2011-09-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

DOCOMOMO/SAH TOUR of Architect Edward Dart’s Houses of Worship on October 8, 2011

When: Saturday, October 8 at 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Meet: American Girl store (north entrance) Water Tower Place

Cost: $65.00 for members of Docomomo, SAH, CCSAH & Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture of the A.I.A., $75.00 non-members; tour bus and box lunches provided.

RSVP: Please send your check made out to CCSAH, c/o SAH, 1365 N. Astor St, Chicago IL 60610-2144 by Monday, October 3, 2011.

Tour four significant works by postwar modernist architect Ed Dart (1922-1975). Trained at Yale University, Dart designed Water Tower Place and Pick-Staiger Auditorium in Evanston as a partner at Loebl, Schlossman, Bennett & Dart, also designing many houses and 26 churches. We will be touring St. Michael’s Episcopal Rectory in Barrington, St. Matthew United Church of Christ in Wheaton, St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, St. John of the Cross, Western Springs, and First St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church on LaSalle Street in Chicago, as part of the 5th Annual National Study Day for DOCOMOMO, the working party for the Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of the Modern Movement.

For more information, please contact Susan van der Meulen at 312-944-5798 or email sahchicago@gmail.com.

PRAIRIE AVENUE TOUR with Historian William Tyre of Glessner House Museum

When: Sunday, October 30th from 2:00-4:00 p.m.Meet: Glessner House Museum, 1800 S. Prairie

Cost: $15.00 members; $20.00 non-members Please join CCSAH and historian William Tyre for a fascinating glimpse and interior tour of two19th century mansions which are back to back, the neoclassical W.H. Reid house of 1894 by Beers, Clay and Dutton architects, at 2013 S. Prairie (first steel-framed house in the city), and the Wheeler/Kohn boutique hotel of 1870 by Otis Wheelock, architect (Second Empire style), rescued from demolition in 1997. If time permits, we are also touring the Second Presbyterian Church at 1936 S. Michigan Avenue, by architect James Renwick (1874; rebuilt by Howard Van Doren Shaw, 1900).
Here’s an opportunity for a “walk through time” of Chicago’s gilded age on Hallowe’en eve, with exterior tours of Glessner House (H.H. Richardson, 1886), Kimball House (Solon Beman, 1890), and the Clarke House Museum (1836), plus the nearby Purdy, Rees and Keith houses.

RSVP by October 18th to sahchicago@gmail.com or to Judy Freeman at (773)929-0329.

Thinking Into the Future: The Robie House Series on Architecture, Design and Ideas

2011-08-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust and the University of Chicago present the inaugural Thinking into the Future lecture series by architect Stanley Tigerman.

Date: Friday, September 9, 2011
Time: 6 to 7 pm cocktail reception. 7 pm lecture.
Location:
Glen A. Lloyd Auditorium
University of Chicago Law School
1111 East 60th Street, Chicago
$30 for FLWPT members and U of C alumni
$35 for non-members

Stanley Tigerman, FAIA is principal of Tigerman McCurry Architects along with his wife, Margaret McCurry. He received both his architectural degrees from Yale University.

A Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago for twenty-one years, he also served as Director of the School of Architecture for eight years. Founder of the Chicago Architectural Club as well as Co-founder and (former) Director of ARCHEWORKS, a socially oriented design laboratory, Tigerman remains the "architectural voice and conscience" of Chicago as a commentator on, and critic of, his city's architecture, fighting to save historic buildings, criticizing bad architecture, condemning public inertia and working with community activists and the local AIA to achieve affordable housing, among other goals. The author of six previous books on architecture, Tigerman has two books being released this fall: Schlepping Through Ambivalence: Essays on an American Architectural Condition (Yale University Press) is a collection of his previously unpublished papers on Chicago architecture, architectural theory, and commentary on contemporaries; Designing Bridges to Burn (Oro editions) is a memoir of his career.

Thinking into the Future: The Robie House Series on Architecture, Design and Ideas will engage leading international, national and Chicago voices in architecture, design and contemporary culture that point the direction to a bright and promising future for the next generation. This partnership program with the University of Chicago will begin with a lecture event in 2011 and include an architecture walk in 2012.

The annual program will take place during September each year. As the program evolves and grows, it will add film screenings, student workshops, and a Robie House award for high school students inspired to envision their future in a summer fellowship program at Robie House and on the campus of the University of Chicago.

Designed in 1908, the Robie House is Frank Lloyd Wright’s most innovative Prairie style home, considered one of the ten most important architectural works of the 20th century.

Taking Wright’s future-thinking philosophy as expressed in the house, the program will explore current ideas and issues in architecture, design and society that stimulate debate about the global world of the 21st century from a neighborhood to a national perspective. The imperative to consider the natural environment, spiritual values, intellectual freedom, social change, design philosophy and architectural ideas will be the focus of this new partnership program.

More information here.

DRIEHAUS MUSEUM ANNOUNCES 2011 FREE LECTURES

2011-02-16T07:49:00.000-08:00

The Richard H. Driehaus Museum Announces Schedule for Nickerson Lecture Program
Free and Open to Public, Program Seeks to Foster Appreciation for Historic Architecture and Design

To mark the commencement of the Program, a light reception will follow the first discussion on Tuesday, March 15, 2011. The full year roster of topics and speakers consists of:

Tuesday March 15th, 6 p.m.
Triumvirate: McKim, Mead & White: Art, Architecture, Scandal, and Class in America’s Gilded Age
Mosette Broderick, Architectural Historian

As America matured in the mid-19th century, the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White provided buildings for a changing society. From wooden houses at the seaside to regal social clubs in the city, as America transformed itself, these architects helped to refine the nation's idea of power and beauty. When McKim, Mead & White focused on the World's Columbian Exhibition, they came to see architecture as able to transform a nation. Mosette Broderick is an architectural historian. She is currently director of the Urban Design and Architecture Studies Program as well as the London-based Master of Arts program on Historical and Sustainable Architecture in the Department of Art History at New York University.

Thursday April 28th, 6 p.m.
Arabella’s Aesthetics: The Worsham-Rockefeller Bedroom
Susan Rawles, Assistant Curator of American Decorative Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Arabella Yarrington “Worsham” Huntington, a poor refugee of the post bellum war-torn South, demonstrated an independent aesthetic sensibility when she initiated in 1877 the remodeling and decorating of an Italianate mansion on West 54th Street in New York City. Combining current trends in Aestheticism with a subtle Francophile taste, she supervised the construction of the Worsham-Rockefeller bedroom. Recent research reveals that the project itself underwent mid-course changes, suggesting not only a patron’s evolving preferences, but broader developments in interior design. This talk will consider the Worsham-Rockefeller bedroom within the context of Arabella’s own life and the larger social and cultural milieu of America’s Gilded Age.

Thursday May 26th, 6 p.m.
Aestheticism and the American Businessman
Melody Barnett Deusner, Terra Foundation Fellow in American Art, Northwestern University

In turn-of-the-century America, paintings associated with the Aesthetic Movement were promoted through the collecting practices of a network of businessmen/art patrons who knew each other, exhibited and traveled together, and donated foundational collections to national museums. Although it may seem strange that soft, ethereal canvases painted by James McNeill Whistler, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, and Dwight Tryon appealed to Gilded Age industrialists, merchants, and bankers, contemporary publications frequently used the same language to describe successful Aesthetic artists and effective businessmen: both valued a selective and logical mind, a quick eye, and a decisive character. Installed in harmonious, fully coordinated interiors, Aesthetic paintings became much more than mere status symbols, serving as tangible tokens of friendships and business partnerships, while simultaneously evoking a networked world controlled by and shaped around the patrons themselves.

Thursday September 29th, 6 p.m.
Millionaires and Military Men: Aesthetic Movement Interiors at the Seventh Regiment Armory
Chelsea Bruner, Doctoral Candidate, City University of New York

Completed in 1881, Manhattan’s Seventh Regiment Armory is now recognized as one of the most important surviving collections of late 19th-century, high-style interiors. The structure was a privately-funded, purpose-built headquarters for the country’s most elite volunteer militia and served a variety of functions for the prestigious group. In back, a 55,000-square-foot drill hall accommodated military maneuvers, munitions storage, and occasionally social gatherings. In the front administrative wing, regimental and company rooms were designed by the most sought-after decorating firms of the period, including Herter Brothers and Pottier & Stymus. The Veteran’s Room and Library—widely considered the Armory’s most remarkable spaces—were an early collaborative effort between the recently-formed Louis C. Tiffany & Co., Associated Artists, and the young architect Stanford White. Chelsea Bruner is a Ph.D. candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. She teaches architectural and design history.

Thursday October 27th, 6 p.m.
The Isaac Bell House: Masterpiece of the Shingle Style
John R. Tschirch, Director of Museum Affairs/Architectural Historian, the

Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island
This illustrated lecture will examine the creation of the Isaac Bell House (1883) in Newport, R.I., by the legendary architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White. A landmark of the Shingle Style, the Bell House is part of a small group of innovative summer houses designed in the fashionable resort of Newport in the early 1880s. The open plan and fusion of Colonial, European and Asian design motifs in the Isaac Bell House made it a seminal work when it first appeared, laying the groundwork for later developments in modernism by Frank Lloyd Wright and others.

All discussions in the Samuel M. Nickerson Lecture Program start promptly at 6 p.m. Museum doors open at 5 p.m. for any attendees who would like to explore the Museum and its collections. Since space is limited, reservations are required. To make reservations, guests may call 312.482.8933 x21, or e-mail info@driehausmuseum.org. More information also may be found on the Museum’s website, driehausmuseum.org.

Show & Tell & Dinner at The Cliff Dwellers Club

2010-11-16T09:55:00.000-08:00

Chicago Chapter Annual Show & Tell & Dinner at The Cliff Dwellers Club

JOIN THE KARAOKE OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY!

200 South Michigan Avenue, 22nd Floor Penthouse
Wednesday, December 8th Cocktails (cash bar) at 5:30 pm
Dinner at 6:30 pm - Program at 8 pm

CHOICE PRESENTER SLOTS OPEN!
In keeping with the Show and Tell tradition, presenters are asked to keep their slideshows to 10 minutes or under. An LCD projector will be available along with a laptop loaded with PowerPoint and Microsoft.

Contact Bill Locke at 312-932-9790 with questions or to reserve.

Menu

Filet Mignon with Béarnaise Sauce or Grilled Swordfish in Lemon Caper Sauce or
Mixed Vegetarian Plate.
All entrées accompanied by Wild Mushroom Soup, Duchesse Potatoes, Fresh Seasonal Vegetables, Caesar Salad & Raspberry Cheesecake as well as dinner rolls, coffee, tea, milk
and a glass of red or white wine.

$47.00 per member / $50.00 per non-member

ON THE ROAD; FALL TRIP TO BISHOP HILL

2010-05-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

ON THE ROAD WITH SAH CHICAGO CHAPTER: BISHOP HILL+

SEPTEMBER 11, 2010

On Saturday September 11, 2010, CCSAH will tour three sites in Henry County, Illinois (roughly 170 miles west of Chicago); our estimated time of departure from downtown Chicago will be at 8:00 a.m.

The highlight will be a 2 ½ to 3 hour afternoon visit to the Bishop Hill Swedish immigrant colony, with a number of surviving buildings from its heyday (1846 to 1861) as a religious collective community. Both the State Historic Preservation Agency and the Bishop Hill Heritage Association have programs interpreting the period, and a number of museum spaces, art galleries and craft shops are available to visitors when not on the guided tour.

CCSAH member and restoration architect Mr. Walker Johnson has consulted on preservation issues at Bishop Hill and will be with us to provide context and insider information. For more general information, visit http://www.bishophill.com/.

On our way to Bishop Hill we are planning guided stops at the glorious Second Empire-style Courthouse in Cambridge, Illinois, and at the pioneer era “Jenny Lind” Swedish Chapel of 1850 and the Swedish Augustana Church of the 1870s in Andover, Illinois.

ITINERARY:

Leave from former Prairie Avenue Bookstore location
418 S.Wabash@8:00SHARP.
Fruit, OJ & Snacks on Bus
HENNEPIN CANAL (top) & STEEPLE BUILDING AT BISHOP HILL

COLONY CHURCH, BISHOP HILL

COLONY HOTEL AT BISHOP HILL

HENRY COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN CAMBRIDGE, ILLINOIS

Return Chicago (418 S. Wabash) by 7:30 p.m

Cost: approximately $75.00 for members/$85.00 for guest, including lunch, snacks and beverages.

RESERVATION FORM CAN BE ACCESSED HERE. JUST CLICK, FILL IT OUT AND SEND IT IN WITH YOUR CHECK.

If you have questions email sahchicago@gmail.com, or call William Locke at (312) 932-9790 or Dick Spurgin at (312)427-8325.

Sullivan's Holy Trinity Church May 14th

2010-04-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

Join City of Chicago cultural historian Tim Samuelson for an exclusive look at an architectural gem, Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, 1903, Louis Sullivan Architect

Enjoy cocktails and hors d'oevres in the parish social hall with a lecture to follow in the sacred space.

Friday, May 14, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.
1121 N. Leavitt Street, Chicago

Complimentary parking available behind church building accessible via Haddon, east of Leavitt.

$50 suggested donation for Holy Trinity’s Building & Restoration Fund

Space is limited! RSVP by May 7th Leo@friendsofholytrinity.com or 773-728-1386

Wikipedia Excerpt Follows: Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral is the Cathedral Church of the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of the Midwest. It is one of only two churches designed by Louis Sullivan, one of the seminal architects of the 20th century.

It is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places and is designated a Chicago Landmark. The church was commissioned by the growing Russian congregation of Chicago, Illinois, and stands within the neighborhood known today as Ukrainian Village.

It remains one of only two Orthodox Churches servicing the orthodox community in Ukrainian Village. Construction work, partly financed by Tsar St. Nicholas II of Russia, lasted from 1899 to 1903. The church retains many features of the Russian provincial architecture, including an octagonal dome and a frontal belltower.

It is believed that the emigrants wished the church to be "remindful of the small, intimate, rural buildings they left behind in the Old World". Actually, the church would have passed unnoticed in the Russian countryside, if it were not for Sullivan's hallmark modern sensibility.

The cathedral's interior is based on the St Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kiev. The church was elevated to a cathedral in 1923, and stands today a member of the Orthodox community in Chicago.

Image courtesy HABS; Historic American Building Survey

DRIEHAUS MUSEUM ANNOUNCES FREE LECTURES

2010-02-25T19:05:00.000-08:00

Photo: Courtesy Richard H. Driehaus Museum c. 2010

THE RICHARD H. DRIEHAUS MUSEUM ANNOUNCES ITS INAUGURAL
SAMUEL M. NICKERSON LECTURE PROGRAM

The House Beautiful: Magnificent Interiors of the Gilded Age
Commences This Spring and Celebrates with Complimentary Program Admission in 2010
CHICAGO (Feb. 24, 2010) – This March, The Richard H. Driehaus Museum announces the
launch of the Samuel M. Nickerson Lecture Program, a new annual program of lectures that
promotes the understanding and appreciation of historic architecture and design. The series features an engaging array of public lectures by notable scholars and authors in the field of 19th-century decorative arts and design. To celebrate the occasion, this year’s entire Program, which has been made possible through the support of Harris Bank and Sotheby’s, is open and free to the public.

The Program’s Roots and Purpose
Named for Samuel Mayo Nickerson, the original owner of the historic 1883 residence that
now is home to the Driehaus Museum, the Lecture Program serves to situate the Nickerson House within the context of the social and artistic developments of the period and against the wider background of America’s Gilded Age.

The Gilded Age was a time of unprecedented change and creativity in American culture. As a
new nation emerged from the aftermath of the Civil War, the country entered a period of
unparalleled economic growth, taking its place on the world stage as a leader in industry and
commerce. The new class of wealthy entrepreneurs that arose at this time found the perfect symbol to display their newfound fortunes in the elaborate residences they commissioned from the leading architects and decorators of the day.

The 2010 Samuel M. Nickerson Lecture Program considers the philosophies in art, architecture and design that governed the creation of these remarkable homes. “The Samuel M. Nickerson Lecture Program is an integral part of the Driehaus Museum’s mission to promote the understanding and appreciation of historic architecture and design; we are delighted to announce the Program’s launch and are grateful to both Harris Bank and Sotheby’s for their generous support,” says David Bagnall, director of the Driehaus Museum.

This Year’s Program, Series and Schedule
The 2010 Samuel M. Nickerson Lecture Program is titled The House Beautiful: Magnificent
Interiors of the Gilded Age and explores the theme of invention and innovation in the design of late 19th-century American interiors. The series commences Thursday, March 25th, welcoming Nina Gray, independent curator and consulting curator for the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. Gray will discuss the development of the interior decorator profession during the Gilded Age. A light reception will follow the lecture. The roster of this year’s series schedule consists of:

Thursday March 25th, 6:00 pm
Living in Style: The Development of the Interior Decorator in the Gilded Age
Nina Gray, Independent Curator and Consulting Curator for the Park Avenue Armory, New York During the Gilded Age, the role of the interior decorator evolved aesthetically and commercially in the creation of stylish interiors. The high style interiors of the 1870s were mainly created by cabinetmakers. During the 1880s, artists took up interior design and added a new level of sophistication. Many of the architects who were commissioned to design the houses of the very wealthy during the 1890s designed the interiors as well. By the turn of the century the professional interior decorator emerged to assemble interior schemes advocating good taste and comfort. Nina Gray has served as an independent curator and architectural historian since 1991. Among the institutions she has worked with are the Park Avenue Armory, Frick Collection, the Brooklyn Museum, the Landmark Preservation Fund, and the New-York Historical Society. Prior to her independent work, she held positions at such institutions as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Sotheby's.

Thursday April 29th 6:00pm
Japanism and the Arts and Crafts Movement
Ellen E. Roberts, Assistant Curator of American Art, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Ellen E. Roberts, Assistant Curator of American Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, explores the
relationship between the Arts and Crafts movement and Japanism, or the craze for all things
Japanese, in Britain and America. Arts and Crafts practitioners admired Japanese works because they were thought to derive from a culture that was free from the depravities of modern industrialism. This romanticized view of Japan made its art seem the perfect model for Arts and Crafts creations. At the same time, as artisans studied more Japanese objects, they began to emulate these works’ underlying design strategies. Japanesque characteristics such as simplicity, geometry, and modularity helped to lead British and American designers toward modernism.

Thursday May 27th 6:00pm
Lockwood de Forest and the East Indian Craft Revival
Roberta A. Mayer, Associate Professor, Art History, Bucks County Community College, Newtown, Pennsylvania
Roberta A. Mayer, de Forest scholar and author of the recently published, Lockwood de Forest:
Furnishing the Gilded Age with a Passion for India (University of Delaware Press, 2009), will explore the designer's career within the context of the late 19th-century East Indian Craft Revival. Lockwood de Forest (1850-1932) had recently established a business partnership with Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) when he began his first journey to India in 1880. His aim was to acquire exotic goods for Tiffany & de Forest Decorators. Along the way, he encountered many individuals involved in the late-nineteenth century East Indian Craft Revival, a movement that found support amongst the British proponents of Arts and Crafts and the British Colonial government in India. He soon developed his own strong appreciation for India’s living craft traditions. When de Forest returned from his travels in 1882, it became clear that he and Tiffany would not continue their joint venture (although they shared many clients in the years thereafter). From 1882 until 1908, de Forest ran his own decorating establishment in New York City, first at 9 East Seventeenth Street and later from his house at 7 East Tenth Street. He focused attention on marketing the Indian style, but also promoting the work of the mistri of Ahmedabad, India, a sub-caste of highly skilled wood carvers. De Forest’s lavish Indian rooms were in demand by some of the most visible figures of the Gilded Age and graced fine houses across the county.

Thursday, September 23rd, 6:00pm
Olana: Frederic Church's "Aesthetic Frolic"
Evelyn D. Trebilcock, Curator, The Olana Partnership, Hudson, New York
The most celebrated artist of his day, Frederic Church (1826-1900) is best know for his large scale masterpieces, Niagara, 1857 and Heart of the Andes, 1859. Olana, his home on the Hudson, is alsoone of his masterpieces. Church worked for 40 years on his 250-acre farm and estate—crowning it with a Persian inspired castle. The house—a work of art ornamented with tiles and spectacular stencils—served as a show-place for his myriad collections, including Middle Eastern metal work, Chinese ceramics, old master paintings, oriental rugs, and pre-Columbian artifacts. Church carefully arranged his treasures to create what the New York World described in 1879 as "an aesthetic frolic" - and these interiors remain today as outstanding examples of the aesthetic movement in America.

Thursday October 28th 6:00pm
Cranes, Dragons, & Geishas: A Brass Menagerie, Metalwork of the Aesthetic Movement
Anna Tobin D’Ambrosio, Assistant Director & Curator of Decorative Arts at the Munson-
Williams-Proctor Institute, Utica, New York Anna D’Ambrosio, a leading historian of American Aesthetic Movement metalwork and Assistant Director and Curator of Decorative Arts at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, will discuss the phenomenal popularity of innovative and expressive brass and mixed-metal furniture and accessories that became ubiquitous in fashionable 1880s American interiors. This illustrated lecture will present original research on the inventive and artistic applications of industrial metals in the
form of what was called “art brass” or “artistic bronze goods.” The terms, coined by manufacturers and retailers, refer to visually and materially complex metal furniture and accessories made in response to consumer demand for decorative arts in the Aesthetic taste. The furniture design is a mixture of Anglo-Japanesque and Modern Gothic forms with Japanesque surface finish and exotic ornamental flourishes drawn from Asian, Moorish, and Persian cultures. Many of the pioneering manufacturers of the materials, such as R. Hollings & Co. (Boston), The Charles Parker Co. and Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Co. (Meriden, CT) and P. E. Guerin and W. T. Mersereau (New York, NY), and will be discussed, showing the range and diversity of their products and how they were used in the Victorian home.

Thursday, November 18th, 6:00pm
In the Midst of Beautiful Surroundings: The Samuel M. Nickerson House
David Bagnall, Director of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, Chicago, Illinois
In 1879, Chicago banker Samuel Mayo Nickerson commissioned a new house from the architectural firm of Burling and Whitehouse of Chicago. Completed in 1883, Nickerson’s Marble Palace was described by the Inland Architect of February 1883, as having “reached a standard of excellence never before attained in Chicago.” The eclectic ornamentation found throughout the home is exemplary of prevailing tastes in American interiors of the 1880s. In design of the “house beautiful” decorators employed a panoply of styles, including Egyptian, Pompeian, Chinese, Japanese, Moorish, and Renaissance Revival to name but a few.

Driehaus Museum Director, David Bagnall, will discuss the history of the Nickerson House and the philosophies in late-nineteenth century architecture, art and design that governed its creation.

All discussions in the Samuel M. Nickerson Lecture Program start promptly at 6 p.m. on
select Thursdays throughout the year. Museum doors open at 5 p.m. for any attendees who would like to take a self-guided tour of the Museum’s main floor prior to each lecture. Since space is limited, reservations to attend any and/or all of the lectures are required. To make reservations, guests may call 312.482.8933, x21 or e-mail info@driehausmuseum.org.

About the Driehaus Museum
The Driehaus Museum preserves and interprets the Gilded Age home of Chicago entrepreneur
Samuel Mayo Nickerson in order to promote the understanding and appreciation of historic
architecture and design. Designated as a Chicago Landmark in 1977, the Driehaus Museum is located at 40 East Erie Street in downtown Chicago and is open to the public for guided tours on a firstcome, first-served basis, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, excluding some holidays, at the hours of 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The docent-led tours run approximately an hour.

Private group tours can also be arranged on Thursdays and Fridays.

Additional information about the Driehaus Museum can be found at www.driehausmuseum.org or by calling 312.932.8665 or e-mailing info@driehausmuseum.org.

About Harris Bank
Harris is an integrated financial service organization providing more than 1.2 million personal,
business and corporate clients with banking, lending, investing and wealth management solutions. The organization is a member of the BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO), which also provides corporate and investment banking services in the U.S. under the BMO Capital Markets name.

About Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s is a global company that engages in art auction, private sales and art-related financing
activities. The Company operates in 40 countries, with principal salesrooms located in New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris. The Company also regularly conducts auctions in six other
salesrooms around the world. Sotheby’s is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BID.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SAH ANNUAL MEETING

2010-02-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

THIS JUST IN FROM SAHCC BOARD MEMBER SALLY KALMBACH:

We need ticket takers and escorted service to the sites for the following tours that depart from Holiday Inn Mart Plaza. (VOLUNTEERS MUST arrive at the Holiday Inn at least 10 minutes ahead of time)

MILLENNIUM PARK Thursday, APRIL 22nd, Friday, APRIL 23rd and Saturday, APRIL 24th 7:10 a.m., walk to the Millennium Park Welcome Center to arrive at 7:30 a.m.
Tour ends at 8:30 a.m. ONE tour each day----three opportunities! 1) Thursday 2) Friday 3)Saturday

CITY HALL GREEN ROOF TOUR, Thursday APRIL 22nd, Friday, APRIL 23rd Noon until 1:30 p.m. Arrive at Holiday Inn at least 10 minutes ahead of time to take tickets.Take the participants to City Hall and staff person will lead them to the roof. 1) Thursday 2) Friday

ORIENTAL THEATER, Thursday, APRIL 22nd Noon until 1:30 p.m. Arrive at Holiday Inn at least 10 minutes ahead of time to take tickets. Escort the participants to Oriental Theater. 1) Thursday

CHICAGO THEATER, Friday, APRIL 23rd Noon until 1:30 p.m. Arrive at Holiday Inn at least 10 minutes ahead of time to take tickets. Escort the participants to Chicago Theater.1) Friday

AUDITORIUM THEATERWednesday, APRIL 21st , 9 a.m. until noon. Take tickets 10 minutes in advance and escort group by public transportation to the Auditorium Theater.
1) Wednesday Saturday, APRIL 24th noon until 4 p.m. (again Auditorium Theater) 1) Saturday

PULLMAN TOUR, Sunday April 25th 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. -- take tickets in advance and escort group to Pullman by public transportation.1) Sunday

I thank you in advance!!

Any questions? 773 868 9096

SWAN ON POND at AIA - Tuesday January 26th

2009-12-11T21:31:00.000-08:00

David Swan on the Autobiography of Irving Pond at AIA Chicago

Tuesday, January 26, 2010
5:30 pm Reception – 6:00 pm Lecture
AIA Chicago, 35 E. Wacker Dr, Suite 250.
FREE for Members. $10 for Guests
Reservations are Required.
Please RSVP to sahchicago@gmail.com
or Judy Freeman at 773-929-0329.

Irving Kane Pond (1858-1939) was a partner with his brother Allen in Pond & Pond, an important architectural firm in Chicago from 1890 through 1929. Their buildings are among the best Chicago examples of the Arts and Crafts style. Among their best known structures are the Hull House dining halls, the American School of Correspondence Building and several buildings on the University of Chicago Campus. SAH members may remember the Julius Hegeler House (1902) adjacent to the Hegeler Carus mansion in LaSalle Peru from the summer 2007 trip.

Irving Pond wrote his autobiography between 1937 and 1939. The handwritten manuscript was given to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1939 where it has been kept since. Swan has redacted and edited the book and added several hundred photographs. Copies of the Autobiography will be available for sale at the event.

David Swan is a Chicago architect who studied architecture and city planning at IIT. In 2008, David edited and published the facsimile edition of The Book of the Fine Arts Building.

"Reading Wright" at Madlener 11/19

2009-09-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

“Reading Wright” Lecture by

Lloyd Natof at Madlener House

Thursday, November 19th, 2009
5:30 Reception
6:00 – 7:00 Lecture followed by Q & A

Location: Madlener House – Graham Foundation

4 West Burton Place Chicago, IL

A joint program of

The American Society of Interior Designers Illinois Chapter

The Society of Architectural Historians Chicago Chapter

More than Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings, his furniture is problematic for designers - many of the pieces make sense within the context of the buildings they were designed for but individually they can be almost too idiomatic. We know instantly that they are by Wright but it is difficult to see through their very distinctive shapes to the underlying design principles.

Reading Wright organizes and provides commentary on the various compositional effects present in the furniture of Frank Lloyd Wright.

S. Lloyd Natof is a studio furniture artist in Chicago and has been living with and looking at Wright's furniture all of his life. For more information on Mr. Natof’s studio and his own work go to

www.slnatof.com

About Madlener House
A masterpiece of early 20th century residential architecture, Madlener House was built in 1901–02 and is the work of architect Richard E. Schmidt and designer Hugh M. G. Garden. In 1905 Architectural Record, called the house "exceptional" in its interior design. After a century, Madlener House stands out as an unusually successful amalgamation of tradition and innovation in architecture, a harmonious reflection of its time and place. In its compact, cubic massing the house is related to the German neoclassical work of Karl Friedrich Schinkel and his followers in Berlin, but in many of its details it clearly reveals the influence of Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Download and print a description of this program with public transportation, parking, etc.

This program is underwritten by Perfection Custom Closets

FREE for Members of SAHCC Members & ASIDIL Members. $10 for Guests
Space is Limited. Reserve Early.SAH Chicago Chapter Members RSVP to sahchicago@gmail.com or Keith at 708-358-1394

“GREAT HOUSES” AT THE RICHARD H. DRIEHAUS MUSEUM & ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL - JULY 23RD

2009-07-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

This event is sold out. Check back for information on Fall SAHCC Events.

Thursday, July 23rd, 5:30 – 8:30 pm
Gather at St. James, Wabash at Huron

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Last spring, the highly anticipated opening of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum revealed a comprehensive and sensitive restoration of a great Chicago house (formerly the Nickerson Mansion, Burling & Whitehouse, 1883) - now inhabited by an outstanding collection of 19th century fine and decorative arts. The Driehaus is setting high standards for new museums.

SAHCC will enjoy an evening of exploration starting at St. James Episcopal Cathedral with an overview of the church’s significance in Chicago history and its design followed by a lecture by authors Susan Benjamin and Stuart Cohen speaking on their seminal 2008 book, “Great Houses of Chicago 1871-1921.” The lecture will be followed by an introduction to the Driehaus Collection by David Bagnall, Director of the Museum. After the presentations we will proceed to the Museum for self-guided tours of this remarkable edifice and its precious contents.

SPACE IS LIMITED TO ONLY 50 MEMBERS
There is a $20 admission charge for this event payable at the door with reservation; sahchicago@gmail.com or phone Keith Bringe at 708-358-1394.

Important Notes: No Food or Beverage will be provided. Books will be available for sale and the authors will be present to sign. Additional info and weblinks available at SAHCC Chapter Blog:

Revenue from this Event Will Provide Free SAHCC Memberships for Students.
In this economy, it may be harder than ever to undertake an education in the liberal arts which is why we are delighted to report that net revenue from the Driehaus / St. James / Great Houses Event will be used to provide free, one-year SAHCC memberships for Architecture and Architectural History students currently enrolled at Chicago colleges and universities. SAHCC believe the students will benefit from access to programs, sites and collections and we hope to benefit from fresh perspectives and discourse. The scholarships will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Kalmbach on Bertha Potter Palmer at Charnley House

2009-07-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

Crabtree - Four Winds - Glen Rowan June 20TH

2009-05-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!

SPACE IS LIMITED!!!
$70 Members $80 Non-Members
Bus leaves promptly at 8:30am from Prairie Ave. Bookstore

SAHCC will explore an impeccably restored, model dairy in Lake Bluff that houses a world renowned collection of Arts & Crafts, and Guild furniture, decorative and fine arts then it’s off to Glen Rowan for lunch and finally a tour of the House of the Four Winds.

Crab Tree Farm was designed in 1910 for Grace Durand by noted Chicago architect Solon Spencer Beman (1853–1914), who is perhaps best known for Pullman Village.

Grace Durand attending to her "model dairy" at Crab Tree Farm

(chm -daily news collection)

Over the last two decades, in addition to a spectacular restoration of the structures - the current owner has assembled what is among the world’s finest collections of American and British decorative art from the period 1880 – 1910. Holdings include major groups of Stickley furniture (including the majority of signed Harvey Ellis pieces). Other artists and manufacturers include Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Archibald Knox, William Morris, Teco, Mondrian, Liberty…and much more all curated in exquisite room settings.

Glen Rowan - Lake Forest College

The Glen Rowan Estate (Van Doren Shaw, 1910) is an ideal place for lunch.

According to our host Art Miller, “Glen Rowan, as well preserved as almost any Lake Forest Shaw house today, remains a felicitous evocation of the Edwardian/Chicago Renaissance ideals of orderly, art-inspired living.”

The estate is operated by Lake Forest College. We are grateful for their hospitality and partnership.

We will complete our day at the House of the Four Winds (Van Doren Shaw, 1909) where our hosts, SAH Chicago Chapter members Bill and Lyn Redfield will be available to describe the odyssey represented by their painstaking and sensitive restoration. It’s hard to believe that this magnificent estate was once destined for the wrecking ball! Over the last few decades the Redfields have nurtured the structure and gardens back to their former glory.

House of the Four Winds Garden Circa 1930

Additional Information:

Crab Tree Farm

House of the Four Winds (Great Article)

May 4th - Gertrude Lempp Kerbis Film at AIA Chicago

2009-03-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

Gertrude Lempp Kerbis Film at AIA Chicago - May 4th

Join SAH Chicago Chapter for a reception in the beautiful AIA Chicago office followed by a short film on the life and career of Gertrude Kerbis.

Gertrude has been a pioneer in working for equal status for women in the field of architecture. A founder of Chicago Women in Architecture and the Chicago Network, she was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects in 1970.

Gertrude Mary Lempp [Kerbis] was born in 1926 in Chicago. She studied architecture at the U of I, and at the Harvard Graduate School of Design with Walter Gropius (1949-50). Kerbis worked briefly for several architects, including Bertrand Goldberg (1949-50). Kerbis also studied with Mies van der Rohe at IIT, where she received her master's degree in 1954.

Kerbis joined the Chicago office of SOM, where she worked until 1959.

In 1967 she established her own architectural firm, Lempp Kerbis. Several of Kerbis's projects have received national recognition including the Dining Hall at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Produced by Karen Carter and made in celebration of Kerbis’ AIA Lifetime Achievement Award

Monday, May 4, 2009, 6:00 pm Reception
AIA Chicago, 35 East Wacker Drive, Chicago
FREE for SAH members, $10 for non-members.
RSVP to sahchicago@gmail.com
or Judy Freeman 773.929.0329

APRIL 2nd - Goldberg on Goldberg at Maxim's and 1300 Astor

2009-03-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

This event is sold out.

An Evening Featuring Bertrand Goldberg Presented by his son, Geoffrey Goldberg With several building designed by Bertrand Goldberg in danger of demolition, we will have the honor of hearing his son Geoffey Goldberg, a talented architect in his own right, discuss his father's works and the innovative designs that are so important to Chicago's rich architectural heritage.

Re-creating the famous Parisian restaurant Maxim's (designed by Maurice Carrere in 1893) was a "labor of love" for Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg. The art nouveau jewel quickly became the place to dine, dance and be seen for Chicago's elite. The restaurant is now owned and managed by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs as the Nancy Goldberg International Center.

The lecture will be followed by tours of apartments in the 1300 North Astor Street building (1962 - Bertrand Goldberg Assoc.)

Thursday, April 2, 2009, 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm

5:30 pm, Reception at Maxim's, 24 East Goethe / 1300 North Astor - Corner of Goethe & Astor

6:00 pm, Presentation by Geoffrey Goldberg

7:00 pm. Tours of 1300 North Astor apartments

FREE for SAH Chicago members, $10 for non-members.

Non-Members pay at the door with reservation.

Deadline to register is Wednesday, March 25.

Reservations accepted on a first-come, first served basis.

Tour capacity is extremely limited.

Please RSVP to Judy Freeman at 773.929.0329 or sahchicago@gmail.com

DIALOGUES ON DESIGN: GUNNY HARBOE on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2009

2009-01-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

Sorry - This event is SOLD OUT

Join SAH - Chicago Chapter for advance notice and preferred reservations. Most of our events sold out last year! Don't miss out on 2009's roster of incredible adventures.

Click on the sidebar and download a membership form. Regular membership is just $25 for a full year of exclusive events, access and information!

IMPORTANT LOCATION CHANGE: THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD AT MADLENER HOUSE - 4 West Burton - NOT CHARNLEY HOUSE

Mr. Harboe’s intelligence as a Restoration Architect benefits dozens of masterpieces; Crown Hall, The Rookery, The Board of Trade, Carson Pirie Scott (Sullivan Center), Unity Temple, The Reliance, 860–880 Lake Shore Drive, The Marquette. The list goes on...at mid career, Gunny will share his insights & new work with members at Madlener House.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

5:30 Reception

6:00 Presentation followed by Q & A with Mr. Harboe

Gather at MADLENER HOUSE, 4 West Burton

SPACE IS LIMITED. RESERVE EARLY.

Preferably by email to sahchicago@gmail.com

Or to 708-358-1394

Members have priority for this event. Free for Members.

SAHCC SHOW & TELL AT CLIFF DWELLERS

2008-11-12T23:09:00.000-08:00

Chicago Chapter Annual Show & Tell & Dinner
at The Cliff Dwellers Club

200 South Michigan Avenue, 22nd Floor Penthouse
Wednesday, December 3rd
Cocktails (cash bar) at 5:30 pm
Dinner at 6:30 pm - Program at 8 pm

CHOICE PRESENTER SLOTS OPEN!
In keeping with the Show and Tell tradition, presenters are asked to keep their slideshows to 8 minutes or under.
Both LCD and traditional slide projectors will be available along with a laptop loaded with Powerpoint and Microsoft.

Contact Bill Locke at 312-932-9790 with questions.

EVENT SOLD OUT: LOUIS SULLIVAN FILM PREVIEW AT GANZ HALL

2008-10-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST.

VISIT SOON FOR SAH CHICAGO CHAPTER EVENT UPDATES!

Column Capital in Roosevelt University's Ganz Hall. Photo: HABS 1963

The Society of Architectural Historians National and the Chicago Chapter invite you to a special preview excerpt of the documentary film Louis Sullivan: The Struggle for American Architecture.

When complete this film will be the first ever feature-length documentary devoted to Sullivan and the passionate struggle to preserve his buildings. The film includes sumptuous photography and important archival material.

Friday November 7th, 2008

In Sullivan’s masterpiece Ganz Hall at
Roosevelt University
430 South Michigan Avenue

Reception: 5:30 pm
Preview Excerpt: 6:15 pm
Discussion with Director
Mark Richard Smith 6:45 pm

FREE for SAH National and Chicago Chapter Members
$10 for non-members
$5 for students

Space is limited.

Please reserve early, preferably by email sahchicago@gmail.com or by calling 708-358-1394
Audio Visual services provided by Metronet Integration.

The National Organization Society of Architectural Historians and the Chicago Chapter are truly grateful to Roosevelt University and the Chicago Center for Performing Arts.

MORE ON RUDOLPH GANZ MEMORIAL HALL - FROM THE CHICAGO CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS AT ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY WEBSITE FROM A STUDY BY BOOTH HANSEN ARCHITECTS:

Ganz Hall was originally conceived as a banquet hall for the Auditorium Hotel after the building had already been constructed in 1890. Louis Sullivan, the architect of the building, was faced with trying to build a new large space within the world's largest mixed-use high-rise building. The only area available for constructing a room for banqueting was above the Auditorium Theatre.

The two primary innovations of the project were to design a special support system for a two-story structure and bring about a refined space capable of formal dining. First, Sullivan worked closely with his partner and structural engineer, Dankmar Adler, to develop a system of iron trusses. The entire frame of the building was constructed to span across the top of the Theatre similar to the long spans of bridge design. This was the first innovation of the project.

The Banquet Hall, entered from the seventh floor of the hotel, is a fine example of the refinement of the ornamentation, the second innovation. Sullivan used a unique and distinctive system of ornamentation such as carved wood panels and capitals, stenciled wall patterns, elaborate plaster work, gilded lighting fixtures, and the use of Michigan birch and gold leaf - all of which made the interior striking. A young apprentice working for Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, had obtained much responsibility at the time and designed some of the ornament.

The ornament is quite intricate and well-developed. The columns are large tapered-over scaled piers with rounded corners from which the ornament "appears" from the grain of the wood. The piers were a modern expression of the time because Sullivan stripped away all the traditional Victorian details in lieu of a simple oversized design.
Alterations

Around 1912, the Banquet Hall was used as a Masonic Lodge. The Masons made several alterations. The musicians' gallery at the north end of the hall was removed. A balcony was installed at the rear of the hall. They also sealed the center pair of doors, removed three of the stained glass windows, and painted the remaining windows black. The stencils were painted over and acoustical tiles were applied to the face of the beams.

In 1956, Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University obtained the Hall. Many of the Masons' alterations were eliminated and the Hall was restored and converted to a recital hall. Under the direction of architect Crombie Taylor, the goal of restoring the room as closely as possible to the original ornamentation while providing an attractive hall for music recitals was begun. A stage and fixed theatre seating were installed to achieve this function. The majority of stencil patterns were recovered. Today, reproductions of the stencils remain on the back wall and in one of the arches as originally designed by Sullivan. However, some of the work that was planned, such as the stenciling on the beams and walls, and installing the ornamental light fixtures, was not completed at that time.

In 1980, architect John Vinci completed a project that helped control the environmental effects on the hall. A new roof and exterior wall system were installed along with new windows and skylights. Water that had been seeping into the Hall was eliminated. This was the beginning of keeping the Hall intact without further damage.

Work continues to restore the hall to its former splendor and provide adequately for use of the space as a recital hall. In 2001 the paintings lining the walls were removed and restored at the Art Institute. In the fall of 2002 the "electroliers" were recreated and installed, as well as a new HVAC system.

ART IN ARCHITECTURE AT SPIRE OFFICES

2008-07-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

DIALOGUES ON DESIGN
Saturday, August 23rd
Art commissioned for architecture undoubtedly pre-dates the caves at Lascaux but where do we stand now? How
are design relationships between fine art and contemporary architecture negotiated? Have things changed since Picasso met Daley Center?

Our panel of knowledgeable professionals will be led by
NATHAN MASON
City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs

Location: Spire Sales Office
NBC Tower
455 North Cityfront Plaza, 18th Floor
Refreshments 1:00 pm
Panel Discussion / Q & A 1:30 pm

FREE FOR SAH MEMBERS
$10 for Guests
Limited to 30 persons
RSVP to sahchicago@gmail.com
or Keith Bringe 708-358-1394

Sponsored by Shelbourne Development Group.
Developing The Chicago Spire

Join SAH National for a Study Tour: Estates of the North Shore

2008-05-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

July 10-15, 2008

Arthur H. Miller, Tour Leader (Archivist and Librarian for Special Collections, Donnelley and Lee Library, Lake Forest College)- Arthur Miller has written, co-authored and edited several publications on the estates and gardens of the North Shore of Chicago including Classic Country Estates of Lake Forest: Architecture and Landscape Design, 1856-1940.

The Estates of Chicago's North Shore Tour will enable study tour participants to experience both the exteriors and interiors of some of the most beautiful estates by David Adler, Howard Van Doren Shaw and other outstanding architects, and the vast landscapes in which the estates are located.

For more information or to register go to the Study Tour page by clicking here.

If there are any questions regarding mobility, please contact Kathy Sturm at ksturm@sah.org or 312.573.1365.

ON THE ROAD: LASALLE PERU - SOLD OUT

2008-04-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT.

If you have submitted your payment it will be considered in the order it was received.

If you would like to register on a stand-by list, to participate if someone drops out -

please let us know.

SAH Chicago Chapter will cancel your check and return it or refund your money

if we are not able to accomodate your reservation.

On the Road with SAH Chicago Chapter:
Explore LaSalle Peru, the Hegeler Carus Sites, Hotel Kaskaskia and

the Premier Season of the I & M Canal Boat Tour

During the last half of the 19th century the Hegeler and Carus families settled in the Illinois River Valley forming a significant cultural, scientific and publishing empire. Their accomplishments include innovations in metallurgy and mining, philosophy and theology and considerable architectural patronage.

The Carus family sought the best in design talent.including the landmark 16,000 square foot residence by W. W. Boyington with lavish hand-painted and embellished interior by August Fiedler, an exquisite library setting by William LeBaron Jenney, an associated residence by Pond & Pond and even Mies van der Rohe advised the current Carus clan on their home in the late 195o's.

SAH Chicago Chapter’s exploration will include special access and Carus family members will be on-hand. Space is limited. Reserve early. Cost is $75 for members. $85 for non-members. $60 for student members and $70 for student non-members.

ITINERARY: Leave Prairie Av. Bookstore
418 S. Wabash 9:30 SHARP.
Fruit, OJ & Snacks on Bus

Tour Hegeler Carus Sites
11:45 – 1:30

Catered Lunch at HC Sites 1:30 – 2:15

Visit Hotel Kaskaskia
2:15 – 3:00

I & M Canal Boat Tour 3:15 – 4:15

Return Chicago (418 S. Wabash) 6:30

Click here to download the attendee form.

Watch this space for further info and a study guide for the trip.

Weblinks:

The Hegeler Carus Foundation

The I & M Canal

Hotel Kaskaskia

W. W. Boyington

August Fiedler

Questions: Call Keith at 708-358-1394 or email sahchicago@gmail.com

Book Review: Great Houses of Chicago 1871 - 1921

2008-04-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Great Houses of Chicago 1871-1921
Susan Benjamin and Stuart Cohen
Foreword by Franz Schulze and Arthur H. Miller
9 x 12 inches, 334 pages
ISBN: 978-0-926464-39-8 • $75.00
Acanthus Press

Synopsis: An essential reference tool for Chicago architecture, interior design, decorative art and history libraries.

SAH and Chicago Chapter members Susan Benjamin and Stuart Cohen have produced the most comprehensive overview on Chicago’s mansions, castles and residential fortresses. This outstanding volume balances diverse sources and matches the pantheon of architects with those early patrons - the pioneers, nouveau riche and old eastern money.

Nearly 350 sepia toned photographs, drawings, and floor plans are breathtaking in scope and detail. The visual content effectively evokes the muffled footsteps of parlor maids and rebukes by gruff railroad barons. Rare figures of inhabitants intervene only occasionally; a child on a tricycle, Mr. Eliphalet Blatchford in his library but mostly the human presence consists of portraits above highly embellished fireplaces. Even so, readers will derive a clear sense of each family’s private aesthetic and public facade.

Interior design and decorative arts are as compelling as the structures. Paintings, sculpture, textiles, carvings, animal skins, all manner of souvenirs from grand tours and chotzkes galore - are piled in impeccable abandon. It's tempting to search for the few objects that found their way to the Art Insitute's collection.

The Editorial content is superb in providing the ontology of Chicago’s residential style, social context, family history and the sources of wealth. Great Chicago Houses is also peppered with aridly amusing anecdotes. It makes a surprisingly entertaining read.

I was especially touched by the 1903 Julius Rosenwald House by Nimmons & Fellows and the authors' treatment. The book’s testimony to one of the greatest of Chicago’s early entrepreneurs and philanthropists is gracious and the house itself is uncomplicated but beautifully designed.

Julius Rosenwald House
One note for the inevitable 2nd edition: while some photo dates are available in the Illustration Credits, label dates or indication of the probable range when the pictures were taken (circa) or even “date unknown” would provide an even richer context. Knowing if the varnish on the spindles is dry or decades old would add polish to this significant volume.

- Keith Bringe

Charnley House

Holabird Film at AIA Chicago Offices - April 21st

2008-03-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Photo William Locke, 2008

Refreshments at 5:30 / Film at 6:00 / Discussion with John Holabird at 6:30
35 East Wacker Drive, Suite, #250
Free for Members / $10 for Non-Members
RSVP TO Judy Freeman 773-929-0329 or jrfree3500@aol.com

On Monday, April 21st, the SAH and AIA Chicago Chapters will partner to show a short documentary on the career of John Holabird. Produced and directed by filmmaker Karen Carter, the 20 minute piece was made in association with Holabird’s AIA Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award. We are delighted that Mr. Holabird will be on-hand to answer questions.

John Augur Holabird was born in 1920 in Chicago, the son of architect John A. Holabird and grandson of William Holabird, founder of the firm Holabird and Roche (later Holabird and Root). He studied architecture at Harvard University where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1942 and his master's degree in 1948. Holabird's architectural work included the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, the Ravinia Pavilion and Restaurant in Highland Park, Illinois, and the Intramural Physical Education building at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana.

We will also discuss the legacy of Holabird, et al and pending alterations to Riverside Plaza. Primer below.

HOLABIRD, ET AL (SIMONDS, ROCHE, ROOT)

As a primer to the Chapter’s upcoming program on John Holabird we are providing background on his “family firm”. Even though the last partner’s name changed 3 times – the firm’s extraordinary legacy of built designs from the last 127 years is astounding including:

Graceland Cemetery Plan Chapel (1888)
Fort Sheridan, 1890
Monadnock Building (South Half), 1893
Marquette Building, 1895
Gage Group Buildings, 1899
Oliver Building, 1907 & 1920
University Club of Chicago, 1909
Cook County Courthouse/Chicago City Hall, 1910
Soldier Field, 1924
Palmer House Hotel, 1927
333 North Michigan Building, 1928
Palmolive Building, 1929
Chicago Daily News Building, 1929 (pictured above)
Chicago Board of Trade Building, 1930
Foellinger Auditorium Addition, U of I Urbana 1985

In recent years, Holabird & Root has completed the major addition to the Chicago History Museum (then – Chicago Historical Society), the headquarters for Nicor Gas as well as projects for the Federal Reserve Bank, Motorola and the American Dental Association, among many others. - KB

David Bahlman of Landmarks Illinois on the State of Preservation

2008-02-13T22:58:00.000-08:00

ROUNDTABLE AT CHARNLEY PERSKY HOUSE:

David Bahlman on “The State of Preservation”

Bahlman is Executive Director, President and CEO of Landmarks Illinois (formerly Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois). Mr. Bahlman is a veteran in historic preservation and will address recent triumphs and pending tragedies in the State.

Update: Bahlman has recently announced his retirement but has confirmed his participation in the Roundtable.

Tuesday. March 18th
Refreshments at 6:00 / Roundtable at 6:30
Gather at Charnley Persky House
Members only.

RSVP to Keith Bringe
708-358-1394 or keithbringe@comcast.net

PAST CHAPTER EVENTS

2008-01-28T20:26:00.000-08:00

MEMBERS AT CLIFF DWELLERS FOR SHOW AND TELL

ART MILLER - LAKE FOREST COLLEGE DONNELLEY ARCHIVE DIRECTOR AT

SHOW & TELL - CLIFF DWELLERS SPOKE ON NEWLY DISCOVERED PHOTOGRAPHS OF DANIEL BURNHAM

MARK SMITH, JACK & GILLIAN SCHULTZ OF METRONET INTEGRATED (OUR SPONSORS) AT THE LOUIS SULLIVAN FILM AT GANZ HALL

ART IN ARCHITECTURE AT THE CHICAGO SPIRE SALES OFFICE

Left to Right: SAHChicago Treasurer Bill Locke, Our Spire Host, Sven Asmus,

New SAHChicago Board Member Thomas Leahy

DIALOGUES ON DESIGN: MICHAEL FITZSIMMONS GALLERY IN OAK PARK

LASALLE PERU; HEGELER CARUS SITES, HOTEL KASKASKIA AND I & M CANAL

SAH Chapter Board Member and Pullman Curator Linda Bullen gets an autograph by "Gospel of Buddha" author Paul Carus descendant Blouke

L to R: Blouke Carus, President Hegeler Carus Foundation and Carus Chemicals, Marianne Carus, Founder Cricket Magazine, Keith Bringe SAH Chapter Co-Pres.

APRIL 2008
John Holabird film and talk at AIA Chicago

The group enjoyed a reception and fellowship in AIA's beautiful new offices at 35 East Wacker.

Bill Locke with John Holabird.

Left to Right: Furniture maker Lloyd Natof, Whitecap Films' Mark Richard Smith who is producing a feature length documentary on Louis Sullivan, AIA Vice President Zurich Esposito and Chicago Art Deco Society President Joe Loundy.

The view from AIA Chicago's office.

MARCH 2008

Charnley House Roundtable: David Bahlman of Landmarks Illinois

David's talk drew a full house and included an overview of his remarkable career - from serving as Director of SAH National (in Philly) to San Francisco Library murals to LPCI's stellar accomplishments at Farnsworth House and more plus where he's going - to an impeccably restored 18th century house in Conneticut. The Chicago Chapter honored Bahlman with a resolution and a plaque. A little praise for Ceasar - and all with the bust of Seymour looking on... We really will miss you, DB.

February 2008

Jordan Mozer: Studio and Associates

XXX = Fun!!!

June, 2007

A tour of Geneva Lake included a champagne reception at the Driehaus Estate

July, 2007

An "insider's tour" of the Fine Arts Building

including a reception in the hidden "Venetian Court"

August, 2007
Members toured the University of Illinois at Chicago in a dual-subject event; Walter Netsch design and the World's Columbian Exposition Collection at Henry Hall.

Dialogues on Design at Lloyd Natof's Studio

January 16th, 2008

Dialogues On Design: Visit Jordan Mozer's Studio

2008-01-28T12:21:00.000-08:00

PLEASE NOTE: EVENT START TIME HAS BEEN CHANGED TO 5:30 PM

XXX

Jordan Mozer and Associates, Ltd. provides architectural and product design services for hospitality, retail and entertainment, such as Disney, Universal Studios, Barney's, Asprey and Garrard of London, George Lucas, The House of Blues, The Rolling Stones, & Cheesecake Factory.
XXX
Tues. February 26th. Gather at 320 W. Ohio, 7th Floor
XXX
Refreshments - 5:30 – Presentation at 6:00.
XXX
Free for Members / $10 for Non-Members
XXX
RSVP TO Judy Freeman at 773-929-0329 or jrfree3500@aol.com by Feb. 20th.
XXX

View more images of Mozer's projects below.

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