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London Guarantee and Accident Building, Chicago, Illinois, Elevation and Details

A work made of ink on linen.

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  • A work made of ink on linen.

Date:

1922

Artist:

Alfred S. Alschuler
American, 1876–1940

About this artwork

Alfred S. Alschuler conceived the London Guarantee and Accident Building at a high moment for Michigan Avenue during the influential international competition for the Tribune Tower and the construction of the shimmering Wrigley Building. Planned for an irregular site along the Chicago River, Alschuler’s elegant building employed a distinctive concave façade that commanded the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. The elaborate Neoclassical elements used in the façade, including faux Roman porticos and a round lantern cresting the roofline, were intended to mark the building’s important contribution to the city as a new monument to commerce. This Chicago landmark stands at a watershed in the history of modern architecture, when Europe began to advance new ideas for steel-and-glass construction, and the United States pioneered a range of decorative styles for skyscrapers, from Beaux-Arts to Art Deco. Like many drawings in the Burnham Library, these sheets were donated to the Art Institute by Alschuler’s successor firm.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

Alfred S. Alschuler (Architect)

Title

London Guarantee and Accident Building, Chicago, Illinois, Elevation and Details

Place

Chicago (Building address)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1922

Medium

Ink on linen

Dimensions

74.5 × 132 cm (29 3/8 × 52 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Friedman, Alschuler & Sincere

Reference Number

1993.162.15

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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