Monday, September 19, 2011

Chicago's West Side [St. Ignatius College Prep Building..]


St. Ignatius College Prep Building..
Year Built: 1869; West addition, 1874
Architect: Toussaint Menard , John P. Huber..
Address: 1076 W. Roosevelt Road
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: March 18, 1987..

Excerpt from Chicago Landmarks website...
The culmination of Father Arnold J. Damen, S.J.'s work in Chicago, this building was opened in 1870 as St. Ignatius College. Loyola University originated from this institution but, since 1922, St. Ignatius has operated solely as a college preparatory school. The Second Empire-style edifice is among the oldest in the city, a rare and distinctive example of institutional designs pre-dating the Chicago Fire of 1871.


Where..
AMDG stands for Ad majorem Dei gloriam
[For the Greater Glory of God]
IHS stands for inque hominum salutem
[Salvation of Humanity]
For the Greater Glory of God and Salvation of Humanity..


The school was founded in Chicago in 1870 by Fr. Arnold Damen, S.J., a Belgian missionary to the United States. The school is coeducational, Catholic, college preparatory and sponsored by the Society of Jesus [the Jesuits].


The building is a rare example of Second Empire Style building in Chicago. What's equally interesting is the sculptural fragments in the campus..
Notable are..
  • Giant flowerpot, which is made of fragment from Chicago Stock Exchange Building..
  • Bas-Relief, which is remains from the Chicago Stadium..


The 10-foot tall flowerpot, is made up of the portion of cornice from [now demolished] Stock Exchange Building [by Adler and Sullivan]..

Details on the flowerpot.. Definitely Louis Sullivan sculptural ornamentation..

Bas-relief is from the Chicago Stadium.. It's not sure who made these sculptural work..


St. Ignatius Prep School is next to Holy Family Church..

Thursday, September 8, 2011

City Hall-County Building: Interiors

City Hall entrance..

Cook County entrance..


City Hall-County Building..
Address: 121 N. LaSalle St./118 N. Clark St.
Year Built: 1905-08 and 1909-11
Architect: Holabird & Roche
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: January 21, 1982..
City Hall and Cook County, share the same building. Here are some images highlighting the interiors of the building..
Let the images speak for themselves..

Doors..

Door details..

Door details..

Walls..

Wall details..

Water fountain..

Water fountain details..

Corridors..

Ceiling details..


COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUES:
The building has many beautiful bronze commemorative tablets..
  • The iroquois Memorial Tablet..
  • In Memoriam..
  • The American Creed..

The Iroquois Memorial Tablet, by Lorado Taft.. For more, click here..

"In Memoriam" plaque.. For more, click here..

The American's Creed.. For more, click here..



The City of Chicago Seal..

Cook County Seal..
- The outline in the center of the Seal is a map of Cook County.
- The scroll bearing the legend January 1831 represents the time the County was created by the State Legislature.
- The ship sailing on Lake Michigan is symbolic of the County's geographical location as a shipping port and a center for all transportation.
- The group of diversified buildings are symbolic of the Government, schools, churches, fine arts, dwellings, business and industry which comprise the County.
- The entire design is encircled by a border with the printed words "Seal of Cook County."

RELATED LINKS..
# City Hall-County Building ..

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

City Hall-County Bldg. [The Iroquois Memorial Plaque - by Lorado Taft]




Lorado Taft
The Iroquois Memorial Tablet [1912]
The bronze bas-relief plaque was created by Lorado Taft, a renowned Chicago sculptor, to commemorate the Iroquois Theater Fire of 1903. The fire, which broke out during the performance of Mr. BlueBeard, calimed more than 600 lives. The tablet originaly adorned the waiting room of the Iroquois Memorial Hospital and was recovered in the basement of the City hall decades after the hospital had closed.
Mr. Taft selected Sympathy, personified as a woman, as the central figure of the tablet to introduce a procession of humanity, some of the Takers, some of them Givers, but all of them deeply impressed by the significance of the dominating figure [of Sympathy].
The commemorative inscription was commissioned by The Union League Club of Chicago.


RELATED LINKS..
# City Hall-County Building ..

City Hall-County Bldg. [ "In Memoriam" plaque]





A bronze plaque honors those who lost their lives in World War I and World War II. The plaque reads..
In Memoriam. Erected by the City of Chicago in honor and in grateful recognition of the gallant and meritorious services of the Soldiers, Sailors, & Marines. Citizens of Chicago who sacrificed their lives in World Wars I - II. 1917-1918. 1941-1945..

The base of the plaque depicts soldiers marching with the flag on either side of a battle scene while an angel rests on top.

RELATED LINKS..
# City Hall-County Building ..

City Hall-County Bldg. [The American's Creed plaque]





The American's Creed..
I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.
- William Tyler Page..


RELATED LINKS..
# City Hall-County Building ..

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

City Hall-County Building..


City Hall-County Building..
Address: 121 N. LaSalle St./118 N. Clark St.
Year Built: 1905-08 and 1909-11
Architect: Holabird & Roche
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: January 21, 1982..

City Hall and County Building is actually one building which serves two purposes and has two addresses. The City Hall occupies the west half of the building with entrance at 121 N LaSalle Street. The County Building occupies the east half is the building with entrance at 118 N Clark Street. This beautiful Classical Revival-style building has beautiful exterior as well as interior..

In 2001 the roof gardens were completed, designed by noted "green" architect William McDonough. However the green roof is not open to the public.

One of the most beautiful interiors that I've seen. Beautiful corridors with elaborate marble stairways and bronze tablets honoring the past city halls of Chicago from 1837 to the present..
For more on City Hall-County Bldg. Interiors, click here..

The American's Cred..

COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUES:
The building has many beautiful bronze commemorative tablets..
  • The iroquois Memorial Tablet..
  • In Memoriam..
  • The American Creed..

Sculptural Reliefs..

City Hall entrance features four relief panels sculpted in granite by John Flanagan. Each of the panels represents one of four principal concerns of city government: playgrounds, schools, parks, and water supply..
For more.. click here..

County Building entrance also has four relief panels.. Two by Carl Beil and Leon Hermant.. and two by Hermon Atkins MacNeil..
For more.. click here..

Fasces, symbolizing, power and jurisdiction and "strength through unity"..
For more, click here..

Y-symbol [rather inverted Y-symbol]
at the City-Hall-County Building..
One of many sculptural ornamentation on the City Hall-County Building is the seal of Chicago by Hermon Atkins MacNeil.. It's on the east entrance or the County Building entrance, and it features the inverted Y-symbol.. Although the actual seal of Cook County does not have Y-symbol.
# For more.. click here..

RELATED LINKS..
# City Hall-County Building ..
# City Hall - Sculptural reliefs..
# County Building - Sculptural Reliefs..
# City Hall-County Building - interiors..
# Y-symbol in City Hall-County Building..