Monthly Archives: July 2010

1940s Storefront Facades

Posted on July 29, 2010 by

We cap off our little survey of commercial Art Deco with a style that’s not really Deco: the circa-World War II paneled storefront. Lincoln Tap Room – Lincoln Avenue Western Automatic Music – Western Avenue R. V. Kunka Pharmacy – … Continue reading →

Posted in Porcelain Enamel storefronts, Vitrolite | 4 Comments

Gold-Plated Deco Bits

Posted on July 26, 2010 by

You remember these guys from last week, right? Grand Avenue Devon Avenue I Devon Avenue II The three buildings share more than just a similar design style; they actually have the exact same gold-hued catalog ornament. Grand Avenue Devon Avenue … Continue reading →

Posted in Art Deco | 3 Comments

Round Corner Deco

Posted on July 22, 2010 by

The Streamline Deco style really lent itself to commercial buildings. They could be built with extremely simple designs, and still be considered stylish and modern. 6747 W. Cermak Road, at Oak Park Avenue Bryn Mawr, west of Sheridan 2755 W. … Continue reading →

Posted in Art Deco | 2 Comments

Angley Jangley Deco

Posted on July 19, 2010 by

Two handsome Art Deco specimens from out west. The Medical Arts Building, Oak Park 715 Lake Street is hard to miss if you’ve visited Oak Park; it’s a rare tall building in a low-rise suburb. Architect Roy J. Hotchkiss designed … Continue reading →

Posted in Art Deco | 1 Comment

Friday Photo Special: The LATE Ride rides again!

Posted on July 16, 2010 by

Shots from the 2010 LATE Ride, Saturday night / Sunday morning July 10/11: I’m not sure how this contraption operated, but it was slow. After I finished the entire ride, and was heading back north on the bike path — … Continue reading →

Posted in biking, Life in Chicago | Leave a comment

The Artist Colonies of Old Town

Posted on July 15, 2010 by

Two remarkable enclaves of artistic thought, expression and craft thrived in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood, starting in the 1920s and peaking in the 1950s. Both sprung from the artistic ambitions of prolific artist Edgar Miller, who spent decades carefully crafting … Continue reading →

Posted in architectural ornament, Art Deco | Leave a comment

Lawn ornament extreme

Posted on July 12, 2010 by

The urge to decorate is, I suspect, fundamental to the human psyche. People like stuff. They like to personalize and elaborate and accumulate. Guys like Mies and Gropius were, truth be told, fighting a losing battle. Some folks, however, take … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in Chicago | 3 Comments

Contemporary Infill

Posted on July 8, 2010 by

There’s often a lot of groaning and moaning about new construction in the city. Pretty much anything that gets built has someone that hates it. Contemporary design gets decried as “awful glass boxes” or “metal and glass monstrosities” (just try … Continue reading →

Posted in Contemporary Modernism | Leave a comment

Houses of METAL

Posted on July 5, 2010 by

Here’s a pair of show-stopper houses up in Evanston, at 1216 and 1220 Main Street. On the right: MetalHOUSE(1), developed by architect Andrew J. Spitz as his own house in 1985. On the left: MetalHOUSE(2), a recently-constructed successor. The original … Continue reading →

Posted in Contemporary Modernism | 4 Comments

Skokie Fairview

Posted on July 1, 2010 by

At the southwestern border of Skokie lies this peculiar little pocket of neighborhood. It is isolated by design, with several roads just not going through to the nearest artierials like Pratt and Niles Center. Thus, it’s a really easy little … Continue reading →

Posted in Art Deco, Midcentury Modernism, Ranch houses | 2 Comments