19th Century Terracotta Border Panel from the Garrick Theater

View Similar Items

Scrolled Fan Terracotta Overdoor from Late 19th Century, England

19th Century Toroja Wooden Granary Panel from Sulawesi

19th Century Terracotta Garden Lions

19th Century, Monumental Carved Boiserie Panels from Lartington Hall

Antique Castle Fireplace from the 19th Century

19th Century Carved Wood Panel

Presentation Panel of Garrick Theatre Ornament

Antique Terracotta Lucarne Window Dormer from a Chateau in France, 19th Century

19th Century Group of 4 Italian Terracotta Pedestals

American Terracotta Panel from the Corn Exchange Bank Building

19th Century French Carved Sunburst Panel

Monumental 19th Century Neoclassical Terracotta Urn Architectural Relief

1 of 2

19th Century Terracotta Border Panel from the Garrick Theater

About the Item

Museum-quality 19th century all original and unrestored deep relief exterior slip glaze terra cotta border segmented or sectional panel salvaged from the schiller building's (later known as the Garrick Theater) central tower during demolition of the building in 1960. The massive exterior panel is comprised of four equally-sized sections with the loose morar and brick removed from the rear cavities (also known as "webbing", which substantially strengthened the load-bearing capacity of the hollow terra cotta block without greatly increasing its weight). The "geometric flower" pattern panel was thought to have been designed by draftsman (at the time) Frank Lloyd Wright - who later occupied the 16th floor in 1893. The original cream or buff-colored glazed finish has darkened considerably due to prolonged exposure to soot and other air pollutants over the decades. The terra cotta fragment was fabricated by the Northwestern Terra Cotta Company, Chicago, il. The non-extant late 19th century terra cotta-clad schiller theatre building was designed by architects Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler of the firm Adler & Sullivan for the German opera company. At the time of its construction, it was one among the tallest buildings in Downtown Chicago. The building’s focal point was an elaborately designed 1,300-seat theater noted for its highly organic-themed plaster ornament and remarkable acoustics. Opened in 1892, the schiller theater was originally funded by German investors and was projected to be used for German-language operas and cultural events. One of the more tangible references to its German heritage was a series of terra cotta busts of prominent German figures integrated within the second story arcade. The theater changed its name and duties over the following decades. It was briefly known as the Dearborn Theater from 1898-1903, until finally settling on the name Garrick Theater. After German investors backed out of the project in the late 1890’s, it ceased its German performances, and exhibited touring stage shows. In the 1930’s the theater was acquired by Balaban & Katz and subsequently used as a television studio and movie theater. After a long decline that began during the depression, the Garrick was razed in 1960 and replaced with a parking structure. The demolition instigated a large outcry and is considered to be one of the first wide scale preservation efforts in Chicago. Photographer and historical preservationist Richard nickel spearheaded an effort to document and rescue hundreds of architectural artifacts from the building shortly before and during its demolition.

Creator:
Frank Lloyd Wright (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 6 in (15.24 cm)Depth: 36 in (91.44 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Terracotta
Place of Origin:
North America
Period:
Late 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1890s
Condition:
some chips due to removal during demolition. Terracotta is in good condition considering age and exposure. No major cracks or structural compromises.
Seller Location:
Chicago, IL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU248936729433

Shop All Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright

Without question the greatest architect the United States has ever produced, Frank Lloyd Wright and his philosophy of “organic architecture” — of buildings that exist in harmony with their natural surroundings — had a profound influence on the shape of modern life. Wright gave us some of the most elegant and iconic buildings in America: residences such as Fallingwater, in rural Pennsylvania, the Robie House in Chicago, and Taliesin, Wright’s own home; and masterful institutional structures that include the Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois, the Johnson Wax headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Whenever possible, Wright designed the furniture for his projects, to ensure an affinity between a building’s exterior and interior.

Wright’s wooden chairs and tables for his “Prairie Houses” of the early 1900s have sleek, attenuated forms, influenced by both the simplicity of traditional Japanese design and the work of Gustav Stickley and other designers of the Arts and Crafts movement. For Taliesin and several residential projects, Wright designed severely geometric chairs that are marvels of reductivist design. He revisited many of these forms in the 1950s in furniture licensed to the firm Henredon, adding a decorative frieze-like element to the edges of tables and stools.

The works on 1stDibs also show how happily Wright embraced new forms and materials. His desks and chairs for Johnson Wax have a streamlined look and use tubular steel to the same effect as designer Warren McArthur, who collaborated with Wright in the interiors of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. For the Price Tower (1956) in Oklahoma, Wright designed angular wooden desks as well as upholstered pedestal chairs made of chromed steel — audacious furniture for his tallest completed building project.

The beauty of Frank Lloyd Wright’s furniture designs is that while many of us wish we could live in one of his houses, his vintage sofas, storage cabinets and armchairs connect us directly to his architecture, and to the history he made.