Saturday, October 23, 2010

Tiffany in Chicago..




Tiffany dome at Marshall Field's [now Macy's] at State Street..

Tiffany in Chicago..
Louis Comfort Tiffany and John LaFarge [two known rivals] created milestones in the development of new techniques for making stained glass windows in the late 19th and early 20th century. In this post I am concentrating on the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany and his Tiffany Studio. In 1885, Louis Comfort Tiffany founded the Tiffany Glass Company, which in 1890 became the Tiffany Studio.

The name of Tiffany is closely associated with..
- The creation of "favrile" glass, patented by Louis C. Tiffany in 1894..
- Developments in stained glass techniques, especially drapery glass..
- Not only is the Tiffany Studio, credited with innovative techniques, but also brought changes in the theme of stained glass windows, from religious compositions, to pastoral scenes, ornamental designs and also floral motifs.






Tiffany Dome at Marshall Fields [now Macy's] at State Street..
Installed: 1907
Designed by Louis C. Tiffany
It is both the first dome to be built in favrile iridescent glass and is the largest glass mosaic of it's kind. It contains over 1.6 million pieces. The late Louis C. Tiffany designed this glass mosaic dome. "Favrile" glass are handmade and the "iridescent effect" was obtained by mixing different colors of glass while hot. "Favrile iridescent glass" is a type of art glass patented in 1894 by Louis Comfort Tiffany...





Preston Bradley Hall..
Chicago Cultural Center..
The centerpiece is a 38-foot Tiffany glass dome designed by artist J. A. Holtzer. The Cultural Center states this to be the largest Tiffany dome in the world, with an estimated value of $35 million..
 



The lobby of Marquette Building..
The mosaics are the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany and J.A.Holzer.. Holzer was chief designer for the Tiffany Glass and Decorating company. These mosaics are composed entirely of mother of pearl and Favrile glass..




The lobby of Marquette Building..
Words inscribed.. They answered they were Illinois and in token of peace presented the pipes to smoke..



Field of Lilies..
Designed, Fabricated by Tiffany Studio..
Location: Tiffany Gallery, within the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows at Navy Pier..
 
Louis Comfort Tiffany was not satisfied with brushwork on glass.. "Glass covered in brushwork produced an effect both dull and artificial".. He said.. "I could not make an inspiring window with paint. I had to use a medium which appealed to me.. How many times I have tried to make drapery glass? My chemist and my furnanceman for a long time insisted it was impossible, claiming that the metallic oxides would not combine, and that was the trouble for many years. The mix would disintegrate. New styles of firing ovens had to be built, new methods.. for annealing glass.."





Autumn Landscape [1890s]..
This window is from Tiffany's Impressionist period. Selected sheets of Favril glass are combined into a sky as "impressionist" as one produced by the painters. The window appears even more spontaneous because of the light that is transmitted through it, a uniqueness of glass unknown to the painters on canvas.



Two Angels [1910]..
Designed and Fabricated by Tiffany Studio..
Location: Tiffany Gallery, within the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows at Navy Pier..

The marker reads..
All the various glass inventions of Louis Comfort Tiffany can be studied in this superb pair of angels. Angels seated in the fields of lilies indicate divine purity. This symbolism is carried to a thoughtful conclusion by the angels beautifully feathered white wings and drapery-folded garments. The use of pastel colors contribute to the serenity. As with all Tiffany figurative windows, the exposed faces, hands and feet are painted..




Hanging Head Dragonfly Shade on Mosaic and Turtleback Base..
at the Art Institute of Chicago..
Design attributed to Carla Pierce Wolcott Driscoll of the Tiffany company..
Description: 1906 / Favrile glass and bronze..

The marker reads..
Around 1898 Louis Comfort Tiffany's firm began creating lamps fitted for electricity with trademark Favrile glass, which feature subtle shading and unique textural effects. As artistic director, Tiffany approved all patterns but designed relatively few lamps himself. Clara Driscoll, head of Women's Glass Cutting Department at Tiffany Studios, was likely responsible for design of this shade and base. She began working for Tiffany in 1888, and designed the majority of the firms lamps until she left the company in 1908 or 1909.



Stained glass dome at Fullerton Hall..
Designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany..
Completed: 1901.
at the Art Institute of Chicago..
In 1901, the Fullerton Hall's pendant space, the Ryerson Library was completed as well..
 



The Second Presbyterian Church has an amazing collection of stained glass windows by Tiffany. But I need to go there again for closer images of the windows..

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Merchandise Mart : Enviornment Friendly







I'm Very curious about how does this work???

Read the text below,
It's on the stickers pasted on the Merchandise Mart revolving doors..

Welcome to world's largest LEED-EB Silver Certified Building where every revolution reduces pollution..
FACT: If our 25,000 daily visitors used the revolving doors the pollution equivalent of 50 car trips from New York City to Los Angeles could be eliminated every year..






Friday, October 1, 2010

Graceland Cemetery


Tomb of Dr. Christopher D. Manuel....

Graceland Cemetery..
The final resting place of many who have written the story of Chicago.. Established in 1860, it covers 119 acres. It was designed by landscape architects O.C.Simmonds and H.W.S Cleveland,in Victorian-style with landscaped parks and memorial markers. Many of the cemetery's tombs are of great architectural or artistic interest. Particularly prominent is the Getty Tomb, which is now designated a Chicago Landmark. It was designed by Louis Sullivan, who also designed Martin Ryerson mausoleum and the Schoenhofen Pyramid Mausoleum. Sullivan himself is also buried here.

Walking through the cemetery one can pay respect to the pioneers, early settler, business leaders, civic planners, architects, politicians and other Chicago luminaries. Pioneers like Dexter Graves and John Kinzie .. business leaders like Potter Palmer, George Pullman, Cyrus Hall McCormick, Marshall Fields .. civic planners like Daniel Burnham ... world famous Chicago architects like John Root, William Holabird, Louis Sullivan, Howard Van Doren Shaw, William LeBaron Jenny, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe .. As many leading Chicago architects have their final resting place here, it is also called the "Cemetery of Architects"..


Dexter Graves [1789-1844]..
Hotel owner, early settler..
Lorado Taft created sculpture "Eternal Silence", in 1909..
For more.. click here..


Victor F. Lawson [1850-1925]..
Newspaper publisher, owner of Chicago Daily News..
Lorado Taft created sculpture "Crusader", in 1931..
For more.. click here..


Henry H. Getty [ 1837-1920]..
Lumber merchant..
Tomb was designed by Louis Sullivan in 1890, and is now a Chicago Landmark..
For more.. click here


Martin A Ryerson [1818-1887]..
Lumber merchant and developer..
Tomb was designed by Louis Sullivan, in 1889..
For more.. click here..


Potter Palmer [1862-1902]..
Chicago developer and merchant..
Tomb was designed by McKim Mead and White in 1902..
For more .. click here..


Henry H. Honore [1823-1916]..
Developer..
Tomb was designed by McKim, Mead and White in 1906..
For more.. click here..


William W. Kimball [1828-1904]
Piano manufacturer..
Tomb was designed by McKim Mead & White in 1905..
It was Stanford White's final design..Ref: Designslingers.. click here..
For more.. click here..


Marshall Field [1835-1906]
Founder of retailing empire Marshall Field's & Co.
Tomb was designed by Henry Bacon and Daniel Chester French in 1906..
For more.. click here..

Graceland Cemetery is also called the "Cemetery of Architects"... as it is the final resting place of many leading Chicago architects ..
- Louis Sullivan [1856 -1924]
- John Root [1850 –1891]
- Daniel Burnham [1846 - 1912]
- Howard Van Doren Shaw [1868 - 1926]
- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe [1886 -1969]
- Fazlur Khan [1929 – 1982]
- William Le Baron Jenney [1832 - 1907]
- Dwight Heald Perkins [1867 -1941]
- Bruce Goff [1904 -1982]


Louis H. Sullivan [1856-1924]..
Architect..
Tomb designed by Tallmadge, Watson, 1924..
For more.. click here..


Daniel Burnham [1846-1912]..
Architect, city-palnner, Columbian Exposition [1893], Plan of Chicago [1909]..
For more.. click here..


John W. Root [1850-1891]
Architect, famous partnership with Daniel Burnham in architectural firm Burnham & Root..
Tomb designed by Burnham & Root, Atwood, Wegman..
For more.. click here..


Howard Van Doren Shaw [1868-1926]..
Architect of many Chicago buildings..
For more.. click here..


Ludwig Mies van der Rohe [1886-1906]..
Architect
For more.. click here..

Cummings..

Dr. Christopher D. Manuel..

References:
# Official Website for Graceland Cemetery..
# Graceland Cemetery..
# The cemetery of architects

Graceland Cemetery: Eternal Silence







Eternal Silence /Statue of Death ..
Graceland Cemetery..

The sculpture was created by Lorado Taft in 1909 ..

Dexter Graves [1789-1844] .. was one of the first settlers who, according to the inscription on the back of the polished black granite slab, “brought the first colony to Chicago, consisting of 13 families, arriving here July 15, 1831 from Ashtabula, Ohio, on the schooner Telegraph.”

The bronze figure, “Eternal Silence,” was created by sculptor Lorado Taft in 1909.

RELATED LINKS
# Graceland Cemetery..
# Rosehill Cemetery..

Graceland Cemetery: Crusader





Tomb of Victor F. Lawson
Graceland Cemetery

Crusader, a huge granite statue of a knight in armor was carved by famed sculptor Lorado Taft in 1931 .. He also sculpted the Eternal Silence click here..

Crusader marks the grave of newspaper publisher Victor Lawson [1850-1925], who established the Chicago Daily News in 1875 ..

RELATED LINKS
# Graceland Cemetery..
# Rosehill Cemetery..

Graceland Cemetery: Tomb of Louis H. Sullivan





Tomb of Louis H. Sullivan
Graceland Cemetery

Architects: Thomas E. Tallmadge [1929]

Louis H. Sullivan [1856-1924], architect ..
The grave was designed by Thomas Tallmadger, five years after Sullivan's death. On the broad side of the boulder, Sullivan's profile is set in one of his own ornamental designs.
Tallmadge wrote a history of 19th century Chicago architecture and coined the term "Chicago-School".







On the monument are etched these words ..
Louis Henri Sullivan [1856-1924]
By his buildings great in influence and power; his drawings unsurpassed in originality and beauty; his writings rich in poetry and prophesy; his teachings persuasive and eloquent; his philosophy wherein "form follows function", he summed up all truth in art. Sullivan has earned his place as one of the greatest architectural forces in America. In testimony of this, his professional and other friends have built this monument".


RELATED LINKS
# Graceland Cemetery..
# Rosehill Cemetery..

Graceland Cemetery: Tomb of William W. Kimball





Tomb of William W. Kimball
Graceland Cemetery

Architect: McKim, Mead & White [1905]
William W. Kimball [1828-1904] Piano manufacturer ..
It was Stanford White's final design..Ref: Designslingers.. click here..



RELATED LINKS
# Graceland Cemetery..
# Rosehill Cemetery..

Graceland Cemetery: Getty Tomb





Getty Tomb ..
Year Built: 1890
Architect: Louis H. Sullivan
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: March 10, 1971

Henry H. Getty [1837-1920] was a lumber businessman ..
Louis H. Sullivan designed the Getty Monument after the death of his wife Carrie Eliza in 1890. getty was partner of Martin A Ryerson, and his tomb was also designed by Sullivan.



The marker reads ...
Getty Tomb
Adler and Sullivan, architects
1890
The Getty Tomb marks the maturity of Sullivan's architectural style and the beginning of modern architecture in America. here the architect departed from the historic precedence to create a building of strong geometric massing, detailed with original ornamentation.
Designated a Chicago landmark on March 10, 1971,
by the City Council of Chicago
Richard J. Daley, Mayor
Commission on Chicago Historical and Architectural Landmarks ..










RELATED LINKS
# Graceland Cemetery..
# Rosehill Cemetery..