Look Up, Chicago

The Marquette Building: 140 S. Dearborn

Look up, with me, at the Marquette Building, located on the northwest corner at the intersection of Dearborn and Adams Streets.  This superbly restored Chicago School skyscraper is named after Father Jacques Marquette who, with Louis Jolliet, was the first European recorded to have explored the Chicago area, wintering over in 1674-75. 

This set of postings is limited to the bronze panels located over the east entrance to the Marquette Building.  If you are in the area, I urge you to enter the building and enjoy the beautiful Tiffany mosaics and additional bronze reliefs just inside the lobby.  There are many treasures both within — and outside — this remarkable building! 

For a more formal introduction to the Marquette Building, consider contacting the Chicago Architecture Foundation.  A number of walking tours scheduled during the week include the Marquette Building among their destinations.   

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The Bronze Reliefs — Marquette Building’s East Facade

This posting focuses on the four bronze reliefs that can be viewed above the east entrance to the Marquette Building.  The panels were the work of Hermon Atkins MacNeil, a noted American sculptor who is also credited with designing the ‘Standing Liberty’ silver dollar in 1916.  The reliefs can be readily seen from the sidewalk in front of the building. 

The reliefs are displayed, above, in the order in which they appear over the entrance, with the south (upper left) panel being the first, and the north (lower right) panel, the last of the four. 

1.  Marquette, Joliet and a handful of voyageurs load their two canoes for their expedition to explore the Mississippi.  The two leaders are standing near the center of the panel. 

2.  Marquette, standing at the bow of the nearest canoe, tries to convince Michigamea tribe members that they come in peace.  Jolliet is seated in the bow of the other canoe, to the right of Marquette. 

3.  Marquette becomes ill during subsequent travels along the Illinois River.  As a result, the expedition spends the winter of 1674-5 near the Chicago River.   Marquette is seated in the sled. 

4.  In May of 1675, on his return to the mission he founded at St. Ignace, Marquette died and was buried near the modern town of Ludington, Michigan.  This panel is probably intended to portray the removal of Marquettes remains to the St. Ignace Mission in 1677. 

Cobb Gate: Update

Cobb Gate Sculptures Free of Ivy

It is a great pleasure to note that the ivy has been removed from the grotesques on the north face of Cobb Gate at the University of Chicago.  Thanks to the University for making these iconic sculptures fully visible to all. 

Cobb Gate: University of Chicago

 

Cobb Gate

The University of Chicago’s Hyde Park campus features Gothic-inspired architectural sculpture.  I suggest that you look up at Cobb Gate, the northern entrance to the university’s main quadrangle.  Cobb Gate is located on the south side of 57th Street, between University and Ellis Avenues, and it is named after the architect of several of the earliest of the campus’ buildings, Henry Ives Cobb.   

Please note the nine grotesques that ornament the top of the gate’s structure.  I understand that these whimsical figures may represent:

  • registrars or the admissions process (the two large figures at the bottom, on each side of the pediment)
  • first-year students or freshmen (the lowest of the smaller figures creeping up the sloping sides of the pediment)
  • second- and third-year students (the next two figures climbing the pediment’s sides)
  • the magnificent senior (the large figure at the apex of the pediment)

This photograph of the north side of Cobb Gate was taken from across the street, on the north side of 57th Street.  

These grotesques are duplicated on the south side of the Cobb Gate structure.  There is much less ivy on the south, but placement of some trees make it more difficult to get satisfactory photographs.  

Cobb Gate - Detail

From the upper left:

  1. This gate-keeper grotesque glares threateningly downward to the left.  It is also nearly covered by ivy, a situation that I find unfortunate.  Ivy may claim nearly unassailable status on most campuses, but should it be allowed to swallow up these delightful sculptures?  I hope not! 
  2. At the top right, the other gate-keeper figure looks upward to the right, mouth open and tongue out, as if ready to challenge whatever the heavens may provide.  
  3. The photograph on the left in the second row shows all five of the grotesques visible on the left side of the Cobb Gate pediment. 
  4. The photo to the right features the five grotesques that are visible from the right side of Cobb Gate. 
  5. The first photograph in the third row is focused on the three figures at the the top of the gate’s pediment.  The two third-year grotesques have almost — but not quite — reached their goal.  This may allow looking around a bit or snarling at perceived threats.
  6. The grand senior complacently sits at the very top, fully fledged and looking forward to whatever comes next.  Is that a knot of hair or a crown that graces the senior’s head? 
  7. On the bottom left, a first-year grotesque scrambles toward the top.  Note the remains of the ivy vines visible in this late-winter photograph. 
  8. A bewildered first-year grotesque pauses momentarily on its upward journey.  This appears to be the only grotesque — except for the senior and the two gate keepers — with wings. 

Cobb Gate: Archive Photograph

Cobb Gate

This photograph comes from an excellent archive maintained by the Univeristy of Chicago.  It provides a view of Cobb Gate (or Hull Gate, as the photo is labeled on the lower left) from the north.  Although this is an early picture of the gate, enough time had elapsed since its contruction to allow ivy to begin to cover the walls on the left and right of the gate. 

Source:  Archival Photographic Files, apf2-01691, Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

The Monadnock Building

The Monadnock Building:  Architecture as Sculpture 

Instead of architectural sculpture, this set of postings might be said to celebrate architecture as sculpture.  Rather than calling attention to ornamentation or decoration applied to or integrated into the Monadnock Building, I invite you to look up at the building itself. 

The Monadnock Building, located on the south east corner of the Jackson and Dearborn intersection, has much to commend it.  The Chicago Architecture Foundation’s walking tour, Historic Downtown (south):  Rise of the Skyscraper includes an excellent introduction to the Monadnock Building (along with several others) and its contributions to Chicago’s architectural history. 

Built in 1891, the Monadnock Building is devoid of the ornamentation and decoration that were the standard for its time.  Nevertheless, this is no mere pile of masonry!  There is an elegant simplicity about it that begs, I think, for a long, careful look. 

This photograph was taken from the east side of Dearborn, several yards north of Jackson. 

The Monadnock Building

The first of the two photos, above, provides a view primarily of a small portion of the east facade of the Monadnock.  The second photograph mostly focuses on the north facade.  Please note the gentle flaring in of the masonry above the first floor level and a corresponding flaring out at the top of the building. 

The Monadnock Building

The first photograph, above, features the very simple, understated eastern entrance to the Monadnock Building. 

The second photograph shows the first three floors of the Monadnock’s north facade.  The inward flaring above the first floor level is most evident on the west (right) side of the building. 

The final of these three photographs focuses on the inward flaring of the masonry beginning at the bottom of the 2nd floor windows and continuing nearly to the bottom of the third floor windows.  You may have noted that the building in the background at the right of this photo provides a grid against which this curve can be observed.  This inward flare is also evident from the second floor windows, which are more recessed at the bottom than at the top.

The Monadnock Building

The top photograph shows the treatment of the two columns of bay windows that extend from the third through the fifteenth of the Monadnock building’s sixteen floors.   All edges where the planes of the windows and the building meet are rounded, and the window columns essentally flair out, beginning just below the point where the flaring in of the sides of the building stops.    

The bottom photograph provides a closer look at the base of one of the bay window columns.  Both of these photos are taken of the north facade, but there are several evenly spaced columns of bay windows columns on the east and west facades as well. 

McGraw-Hill Building

McGraw-Hill Building - 520 North Michigan Avenue 

Once again I invite you to look up with me.  The subject of this set of postings is the architectural sculpture on the former McGraw-Hill Building, located at 520 North Michigan Avenue.  

The photograph above was taken from the east side of Michigan Avenue, near the Tribune Tower.  The primary features of this building — sculpted by Gwen Lux — are located at  the fourth- and fifth-floor levels; they are not visible from this angle. 

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McGraw-Hill  Building - East Facade

*** Be sure to click on these photographs to enlarge them and to switch between the enlargements. ***

The first of these full-width views (above) of the 520 North Michigan Avenue Building’s east face shows the location of Gwen Lux’ sculpture.  Note that the images are located at the fourth- and fifth-floor levels.

The second full-width view isolates the fourth- and fifth-floor levels.  Three sculptured figures, centered on the entrance to the building, can be seen on the fifth-floor level.  Six rectangular panels, each with a distinctive figure in it, are spaced across the width of the building at the fourth-floor level.  Each of the five window pairs on this level is separated by a botanical figure, which is the same height as the larger panels on this floor level but much narrower. 

McGraw-Hill Building - Fifth Floor Sculptures

*** Be sure to click on these photographs to enlarge them and to switch between the enlargements. ***

Note that three figures are displayed on the fifth-floor level of the McGraw-Hill Building.  They are titled, from left (south) to right:

McGraw-Hill Building - Fourth Floor Panels (Large)

*** Be sure to click on these photographs to enlarge them and to switch between the enlargements. ***

The six larger panels on the fourth-floor level at 520 North Michigan Avenue represent six of the signs of the Zodiac.  From left (South) to right they are:

  • Capricorn
  • Sagittarius
  • Virgo
  • Gemini
  • Libra
  • Aries 

The full complement of the 12 signs of the zodiac may have been on the original building.  Leo and Taurus can be found on the north side of the building, and Taurus and two full-scale botanical panels are displayed on the south side.  I was unable to take satisfactory photographs of these panels because of the lack of sufficient light and of a favorable position from which to take the picture. 

The symbolic representation of each of these signs can be found in either the top left, top right or bottom right of the its panel. 

(Edited March 30, 2012)

McGraw-Hill Building - Botanical Figures

*** Be sure to click on these photographs to enlarge them and to switch between the enlargements. ***

A narrow botanical figure is placed between the two windows in each of the five sets of windows on the fourth-floor level.  

  • The two figures on the left (south) side, which are nearly identical, represent a plant that has its trunk on the left side of its panel and leads the eye to the right. 
  • The figure in the center is less clearly oriented to the left or to the right. 
  • Finally, the two nearly identical figures on the right have their trunks on the right side of their panels and are near mirror images of the two on the left. 

I find the slight variations between the two south and the two north panels interesting.  The same cartoon was used for each pair, but the execution of details — e.g., the leaf or branch scars at the base of the figures — differ slightly between the two panels.  (Updated March 30, 2012)