The White Eagles
We're wrapping up a full week in Chicago, and have a few more days to go before we head
back to LA.
I once lived just a few blocks from the intersection of Sheridan and Broadway, and walked
past this building often. I always thought that this line of soaring eagles made up one of the most unusual cornices I'd ever seen.
When we stopped to take some pics, I took a few snaps of the eagles embedded in the
vertical panels at the corners of the building. While shooting the photos I noticed the decorative detail that lined the outer edges of the terra cotta panels, and how Sullivanesque they appeared. It reminded me of a story I had heard years ago. When Louis Sullivan was down on his luck at the end of his life, he drew up details for decorative terra cotta panels which were manufactured to add a little extra something to buildings around the city. The panels on this building aren't as ornate or easily identifiable as true Sullivans, and I can't imagine him including eagles in anything he designed, but the thought did occur to me.
Posted by designslinger at 5/8/2009 4:30 AM 
Categories: Architecture, Decorative Arts
Tags: Chicago Louis Sullivan terra cotta
Categories: Architecture, Decorative Arts
Tags: Chicago Louis Sullivan terra cotta
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