The America Windows, 1977, Marc Chagall, The Art Institute of Chicago, Photo Romi CortierDetail of The America Windows, 1977, Marc Chagall, The Art Institute of Chicago, Photo Romi CortierThe America Windows, 1977, Marc Chagall, The Art Institute of Chicago, Photo Romi CortierDetail of The America Windows, 1977, Marc Chagall, The Art Institute of Chicago, Photo Romi CortierThe America Windows, 1977, Marc Chagall, The Art Institute of Chicago, Photo Romi CortierDetail of The America Windows, 1977, Marc Chagall, The Art Institute of Chicago, Photo Romi Cortier
The America Windows by Marc Chagall commemorate the American Bicentennial, and were a gift to The Art Institute of Chicago in 1977. Gifted by the artist in memory of Mayor Richard J. Daley, the three window installation is frequently referred to as the Chagall Windows, and were made forever famous by their appearance in the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
The first panel dives into Chicago’s rich history as a hub for rhythm & blues. People playing instruments as well as floating guitars and fiddles are depicted in the blue glowing panes of the first window. The radiant history of the city warms the heart, reminding Chicagoans of their rich background of soulful melodies in the homeland of the blues.
The second panel illustrates the unity and peace found within the multiple neighborhoods of the city. A giant dove surrounded by olive branches watches over the city day and night. The panel also serves as a prayer for the city. After the passing of Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley in 1976, many people in the city were left in a state of mourning. The figure on the left side of the pane lights a candle in remembrance of the late, great Chicago mayor.
Finally, the third panel symbolizes the importance of religious freedom in America. An angel-like figure, menorah and rose window are shown along with immigrants of different backgrounds celebrating as they are literally thrown into “the great American melting pot.” References to Christianity and Judaism are important to note because of Chagall’s Jewish faith and his extensive work in cathedral windows. (Columbia College Chicago)
The America Windows, 1977, Marc Chagall, The Art Institute of Chicago, Photo Romi Cortier
Here’s a superb video that delves deeper into the restoration of the windows in 2010.
Laramie State Bank Building, Chicago, IL, Photo Romi CortierLaramie State Bank Building, Chicago, IL, Photo Romi CortierLaramie State Bank Building, Chicago, Ill, Photo Romi CortierLaramie State Bank Building, Chicago, IL, Photo Romi CortierLaramie State Bank Building, Chicago, IL, Photo Romi CortierLaramie State Bank Building, Chicago, IL, Photo Romi CortierLaramie State Bank Building, Chicago, IL, Photo Romi CortierLaramie State Bank Building, Chicago, IL, Photo Romi Cortier
The Laramie State Bank Building in Chicago is a feast for the eyes. Whether or not you’re a lover of Art Deco, you can’t help but notice this gem while driving by. The butterscotch colored terra cotta, created by the Northwestern Terra Cotta Company, is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
Formerly the Ruzicka Drug Store Building, now the current Laramie State Bank Building, courtesy Forgotten Chicago Forum, via Berwyn Frank, circa 1910.
What started out as a one-story addition and remodel of a modest 1909 building, grew into a massive overhaul which was completed by 1929. Architects Meyer & Cook were responsible for the Deco makeover that features such details as: coins, squirrels, beehives, men at work, and the american eagle sinking it’s talons into the entire globe, all of which are symbols of industry and thrift. The moral of the story appears to be hard work and savings. The building resides at 5200 W. Chicago Avenue, on the corner of Laramie, in the community of Austin.
I found this building quite by accident, while driving to Oak Park to see all of the Frank Lloyd Wright homes and his personal studio last summer. It looked to be a short drive from the friends home that I was staying at. I dipped out early that Sunday morning while my friends slept, using google maps to find my way to Oak Park. The map looked simple, take a left anywhere, turn right at Chicago Avenue, and follow it all the way to Oak Park. As I rolled through the neighborhood, it appeared to be quite run down, and to be honest… downright scary. I saw the ‘Golden Arches’ of McDonald’s on my left and beelined it into the drive-thru for a quick bite. While waiting in line, I started observing the goings on in the parking lot…. hmmm. Drug deals, prostitution, it was very sketchy and I couldn’t get out of there quick enough. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I saw the amazing deco building sitting caddy corner and made a mental note to stop on my way back from Oak Park. If you’ve read previous posts on my blog, then you’ll see some of the other great buildings from my visit there, and I still have a few more to post.
Anyway, as I drove back from Oak Park, I parked my Jeep in the driveway of a different quick service restaurant, hopped out, and took a ton of photos in about 10 minutes. Yes, I was the only middle aged white guy with silver hair in the hood, so I sorta stood out. I simply smiled and said hello to those who looked at me, got my images and then bolted. When I got back to my friends house, I told her about my adventure. She said What! You went where?! Oh my god, don’t ever go there again, especially at night. You know when a fine looking black woman tells you to stay out of the hood, you’d better listen. I know I’m no Anderson Cooper covering some war torn country abroad, but I did feel like a bit of a rebel for being willing to get my blog photos. That said, so often these old buildings are in parts of town that are less than desirable. So you just have to throw on your best New York attitude and go for it. It’s always so rewarding when you come away with so many amazing images. I hope you like them as much as I do.
Laramie State Bank Building, Chicago, IL, Photo Romi Cortier
Hills-DeCaro House, Oak Park, Illinois, Photo Romi CortierHillsDeCaro House, Oak Park, Illinois, Photo Romi CortierHills-DeCaro House, Oak Park, Illinois, Photo Romi CortierHills-DeCaro House, Oak Park, Illinois, Photo Romi CortierHills-DeCaro House pergola,, Oak Park, Illinois, Photo Romi CortierHills-DeCaro House, Oak Park, Illinois, Photo Romi CortierHills-DeCaro House, Oak Park, Illinois, Photo Romi Cortier
The Hills-DeCaro House, located at 313 Forest Avenue in Oak Park, has an extraordinary history. This house is part of the self guided Frank Lloyd Wright walking tour that can be seen while visiting Oak Park, Illinois.
The original structure, seen below, was built by architect Charles C. Miller for William Cunningham Gray in 1883. After changing ownership in 1900, the home was moved south of its original location, and rotated counterclockwise… who knew they could do that in 1906. Frank Lloyd Wright was then commissioned to redesign the home, thus creating the Prairie Style home seen above. This was achieved by entirely engulfing the original building, creating a more horizontal vibe, versus the vertical look of the original home.
The Gray House by Charles C. Miller, Photo courtesy of the Northwest Architect Archives at the University of Minnesota Libraries in Minneapolis.
Completed around 1907, the home was a wedding gift from Nathan Moore, to his daughter Mary Hills . Not fond of the homes ‘stern and austere’ look, she hired a new architect to make alterations, such as extending the kitchen wing to include a pantry and breakfast room, enclosing the rear porch, and adding a children’s playroom under the rear porch.
In 1975 Tom and Irene DeCaro purchased the home and began a diligent restoration with the aid of architect John Tilton. But a fire in 1976 devastated much of the structure, including the entire second and third floors. Following a neighborhood fundraiser, construction resumed, returning the front elevation to its original 1906 design. For their part in the restoration, the Oak Park Landmarks Commission voted to rename the completed structure as the Hills-DeCaro House in 1977.
In 2009, the Smylies, who bought the home in 2001, decided to recreate a portion of the original pergola that had once existed. Subsequent digging uncovered the limestone foundation for the pavilion, while Roman bricks were matched to remnants found near the buried foundations.
I had no knowledge of any of these facts until I did research for this article. All I can tell you is how much I loved the grand, yet elegant proportions of this home when I stood in front of it. I also loved the color palette of the home, which seems to reflect todays current trend of of highly contrasting black and white exteriors. Little did I know when I walked through the alley behind the home, that the gorgeous pergola was fairly recent and a recreation of the original lost many years ago. This kind of love for architecture gives me faith in humanity on the eve of this very nerve racking election.
Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain is breathtakingly beautiful. To stand in front of it, is to be enveloped by the truest essence of beauty. The sound of splashing water. The waters mist surrounding you. The sumptuous warmth of the pink Georgia marble. Bronze sculptures that immediately remind you of Versailles. The view of the ocean behind it. It’s truly a feast for all of your senses and should be at the top of your to do list while visiting Chicago.
I was lucky to arrive just as the sun was beginning to set, and I felt like I was witnessing the creation of an 18th-Century Italian painting. The rolling clouds changed color before my eyes, with shades of pale pink and baby blue. The spectacular ‘soft moonlight’ lighting on the fountain revealed itself as the sun continued to set. The warm tones of the marble against the backdrop of cool tones in the sky could not have been anymore perfect. I circled the fountain to experience it from every vantage point. I wanted to linger and spend hours by the fountains edge, but there were still so many things to see along Michigan Avenue.
Kate Sturges Buckingham (1858 – 1937) bestowed this remarkable gift to the city in 1927, as a memorial to her late brother Clarence Buckingham. To this day, it is one of the largest fountains of it’s type in the world. Architect Edward H. Bennett designed the fountain, and French artist Marcel Loyau produced the sculptural elements, inspired by the Latona Fountain at Versailles. Located at Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway in Grant Park, the fountains runs from 8 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, from early April through mid-October, depending on the weather. I can’t wait to return to this glorious Chicago landmark.
Carbide and Carbon Building, Chicago, Photo Romi CortierCarbide and Carbon Building, Chicago, Photo Romi CortierCarbide and Carbon Building, Chicago, Photo Romi CortierCarbide and Carbon Building, Chicago, Photo Romi CortierCarbide and Carbon Building, Chicago, Photo Romi CortierCarbide and Carbon Building, Chicago, Photo Romi CortierCarbide and Carbon Building, Chicago, Photo Romi CortierCarbide and Carbon Building, Chicago, Photo Romi CortierCarbide and Carbon Building, Chicago, Photo Romi Cortier
Chicago’s Carbide and Carbon Building is an extraordinary example of 1920’s Art Deco. I remember seeing this gorgeous building on my last visit to Chicago in 2004, but strangely enough, I couldn’t remember going inside of it. As it turns out, the building underwent over $106 Million worth of renovations and updates from 2001 – 2004 and was closed to the public during that time. No wonder my UCLA art history teacher who was hosting our trip didn’t take us inside. But you know me, if I see a stunner like this one, I’ll do my best to step inside and experience the glory of a by gone era.
One of the things that I love about the renovations done by the Hard Rock Hotel, is that their signage doesn’t interfere with the striking polished black marble exterior on the lower portion of the building. The upper portion of the building is dark green terra cotta, not black as I’d originally thought. I’d assumed this building was like LA’s very rare gold and black terra cotta art deco buildings, however I was wrong. And can you believe the gold color on the tower is 24k gold. Even though it’s only one five-thousandths of an inch thick, it’s actual gold. Elegant bronze trim extends from the tip of the spire to the ground, leading some to believe that the building was built to look like a champagne bottle.
The entrance at 230 N. Michigan Avenue sports a bronze grill over the massive doorway, something that beckons any seasoned deco enthusiast to enter. And once you’ve stepped inside the lobby, the exquisite deco elevator doors will practically take your breath away, They’re every bit as beautiful as the ones at the Waldorf Astoria in New York.
The Carbide and Carbon Company developed the first dry cell battery and commissioned the Burnham Brothers to create their home base, which was completed in 1929. There were plans for a sister building, however, the stock market crash of 1929 put an end to that. Zoning laws in 1923 limited the height of skyscrapers, allowing for towers as long as they didn’t take up more than one quarter of the lot size. Therefore, this building has a 23 story base and a 15 story tower. There’s something so elegant about the proportions of buildings from the 20’a and 30’s. They’re more human in scale and have so easily stood the test of time. Hooray for the Hard Rock Hotel for reinvesting in this gem of a building and bringing it up to date.
If you’d like to book a room at the Chicago Hard Rock Hotel, click HERE.
