Lady Topham Catt

@ladytophamcatt

Short. Black. Mom. Wife. Writer. Photographer. Profanity enthusiast. Chicago architecture & history + classic film. Photos mine unless noted. Opinions always mine. Fighter against the tyranny of hard pants & unyielding waistbands. she/her

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Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· 29d

7/8 Isadore Shank's work is especially notable here. In 1930, The Modern View -- a progressive weekly serving the Jewish community in St Louis -- lists him among prominent artists in the city & praises his "artistic renderings" for their "most favorable impress on the building vogue of the city."

Scan of the entire page from The Modern View praising "The Jewish Artists of St Louis" on December 19, 1930. Isadore Shank is among them, and I have drawn a red box around the paragraph that states "Isadore Shank has won honors at Washington University. With his artistic renderings, he also has made a most favorable impress on the building vogue of the city."

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· 29d

5/8 Dying to know who did the work on every last detail in this thing? The Modern View has you covered, as well as a really clear rendering of the building.

Newspaper clipping from the April 26, 1929 copy of The Modern View. Under a nice and clear illustration of the building is a full listing of EVERYONE involved in the construction of the thing, from the architects to the terra cotta manufacturer -- Northwestern Terra Cotta Company, as luck would have it. Heading above illustration identifies this as "THENEW DeBaliviere Building" since several older buildings met their demise so it could live. Who knocked them down? According to this, Theo Shakofsky of 809 Chestnut Street was in charge of wrecking.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· 29d

4/8 "...abstract straight-line decorative motifs of this sort began with [FLW]. Experiments with it are to be welcomed, but considerable study of the underlying ideas will be necessary before success can be had in general practice." I dunno, Architectural Record -- this looks like success to me.

Black and white photo of the first floor entrance to the building with details of the architectural tiles visible. Text under photo says:

"SHOP FRONT IN APARTMENT BUILDING
DELMAR AND DE BALIVIERE BUILDING, SAINT LOUIS
BOWLING AND AN ARCHITECTS"

As seen in the Architectural Record (March 1929).

Black and white photo of part of the residential entrance bay to the building. Next tot he photo is the text:

"APARTMENT HOUSE FACADE
DELMAR AND DE BALIVIERE BUILDING,
ST. LOUIS
BOWLING AND SHANK, ARCHITECTS

The use of abstract straight-line decorative motifs of this sort began with Frank Lloyd Wright. Experiments with it are to be welcomed, but considerable study of the underlying ideas will be necessary before success can be had in general practice."

Clipped from The Architectural Record (March 1929)

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· 29d

3/8 The local press saw the finished product as "novel" & a clear "expression of contemporary American architecture," something that still rings true today. At nearly 100, it is still strikingly modern & different, especially in its use of color.

Newspaper clipping from the July 22, 1928 St. Louis Globe-Democrat with two photos of the building. One is a shot of the entire building taken from an angle across the street, and the other a close-up of the upper reaches of the entry bay. Text underneath the photos reads:

"An effect that is distinctly novel in St. Louis has been achieved in the new store and apartment building on the southeast corner of Delmar boulevard and De Baliviere avenue, which is an expression of contemporary American architecture with geometrical rather than naturalistic forms. The use of color in the materials, terra cotta red and black with no relief, is the most obvious characteristic of the structure. and the intricate detail does not detract from the horizontal simplicity of the composition, as shown in the general view and the detail above the entrance. The structure is three stories in height, and was planned to take take three additional floors. It contains thirty-four efficiency units and six stores, which are under the management of Cornet & Zeibig. The Corner Investment Company, headed by Sam Hamburg. Jr., owns the building. Jesse L. Bowling & Isadore Shank, architects."

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· 29d

2/8 This was not the original design! Another one, seen in papers in 1928, shows something that looks like a weird, Brutalist Art Deco take on a villain's lair. However, this was supposed to be shops & apartments, not the HQ of a supervillain, & by March of 1929 we have another "approved design."

Newspaper clipping from the July 22, 1928 St. Louis Globe-Democrat with a black and white illustration of the original design for the building, as described in this post. Text underneath reads:

"Four-story store, office and apartment building to be erected shortly on the southeast corner of Delmar and De Baliviere boulevards by Sam Hamburg, Jr., and associates. It will cost about $300,000. Jesse L. Bowling & Isadore Shank, architects."

Newspaper clipping from the March 3, 1929 St. Louis Globe-Democrat with a black and white illustration of the building, now in its current form. Text underneath reads:

"Construction is well under way on the De Baliviere Building, being erected on the southeast corner of Delmar and De Baliviere boulevards by the Corner Investment Company, headed by Sam Hamburg. Jr. This is the accepted design for the structure, which is to cost about $250,000, and will contain eight shops and thirty-four apartments. Jesse L. Bowling and Isadore Shank, architects."

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 14

It's an old, old neighborhood. And anything that old is gonna have some interesting stories to tell. My fam still has the house, but the homes that flanked it are gone, as is a large swath of buildings across the street. Had to paste together some Sanborns from 1950, but you get the idea.

Recent Google Street View aerial showing lots of what we will call green space and a few buildings.

Two Sanborn fire maps from 1950 that I have clumsily pasted together to show both sides of Peoria and the dense collection of buildings that used to be there.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 13

⬆️ WAY TO HELL St Louis, Missouri

Color nighttime photo. Someone has scrawled an arrow pointing up and the words “WAY TO HELL” on the decaying entry ramp to an abandoned parking garage. Unclear why someone would deliberately point people seeking hell in the wrong direction. ZWON has graffitied the building directly behind the ramp using a more artistic style.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 13

Keep this fish smiling. NO DUMPING! #ManholeCoverMonday St Louis, Missouri

Color photo of a cast iron manhole. Centered is a smiling little catfish happily rooting around the bottom of a lake and gulping down whatever gross things he finds. Arching above this is the command “NO DUMPING!” Why? “DRAINS TO STREAM.”

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 11

My old friend Griser! I’ve even photographed this building, but never got around to posting it. I love his love of castles.

Color photo of a castle-looking finial ornamenting the corner of a red brick building.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 10

Btw, I get so excited when it looks like there's a drawing of a building in a newspaper, but sometimes it's just this 😭

Terrible scan of an illustration in the January 1, 1929 Suburbanite Economist where the only thing you can make out is that there's some sort of building on some sort of streetscape and someone has typed some sort of words underneath the drawing. Above this is the heading "For 79th and Paulina;" pretty much the only thing legible.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 10

Another funky effort from this trio, this time working their magic in Auburn Gresham. Architects: Hall, Lawrence & Ratcliffe, 1929

Color photo of a large mixed use building with a flat roof and a corner entrance. It is clear that the ground floor originally housed many shops. Constructed mainly of red brick, the building has understated cast stone Art Deco panels and exquisite brickwork ornamenting the upper levels.

Color close-up of the very top of the building above the corner entrance. There is a centered panel with a rather trippy Art Deco design in light brown cast stone. On either side of this is gorgeous brickwork in a chevron pattern that is further ornamented by brick plus signs formed by slightly projecting bricks. This image was taken as the sun went down, leaving only the right side of the building bathed in the last remaining light.

Color close up of one of the trippy Art Deco panels located above a window, along with some of the brickwork on either side, a golden hue cast on this side of the building by the setting sun.

Another color close-up of one of the cast stone panels at the top of the building. Each panel is slightly different but similar. This one features a very Art Deco sunburst, with rays textured by tiny chevrons. There is another very large compound chevron peeking up from the bottom center of the panel. Filling out the design are sinuous organic scrolls that curve their way throughout the design and between rays. Though taken at the same time as the other photos, this side of the building faces away from the setting sun, and the colors of this panel appear less warm and glowing as a result.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 10

I have concerns about this stairwell

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 8

Share a circle

Color photo of an out of focus mausoleum as seen through a circular hole in a cemetery art installation.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 8

Love Is Every Where BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE

Color photo of a big brick mid-century rectangle of a building. Left side of building is divided into four grille covered bays further divided by full height brick piers. One bay serves as the entry, and has a metal door that seamlessly blends into the metal expanse above it. Right half of the building holds garage doors in two bays by full height brick piers. One garage door says "Love Is Every Where" and the other says "BEWARE" six times in six different colors. Elevated tracks can be glimpsed to the right of the building.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 8

Imagine trying to concentrate on lead mitigation & there's constantly thunderous organ playing, murdering & chandelier dropping in the workplace. You go downstairs to check on something & gotta deal with the Phantom sinking into the water on his bullshit again. They deserve the hazard pay!

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 8

In one of his most diabolical plots yet, the Phantom has used lead sealants in the Palais Garnier

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 6

I don’t know if I needed these details about how people consume their chicken bones 😭

Screenshot from linked article reads “Many Maritimers have fond memories of crunching them straight from Grandma's candy dish or sucking them down to a sliver to melt the chocolate inside.”

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 6

I was JUST showing my kid this & trying (unsuccessfully) to get him hyped to go see the reservoir with me

Screenshot from the TARP site showing that the Thornton Reservoir was 94% full with 7.4 billion gallons of water (& presumably yucky stuff) as of 7:18 this morning.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 4

HIGHLY amused that this 1928 writer started this article off with "why they are called 'greasing palaces' is at once evident from a view of the Beverly Hills Greasing Palace" because it was so obviously NOT evident why they were called that 📸 Courtesy the Ridge Historical Society

Crop of article from the Weekly Review reads:

"Open New Greasing Palace on 95th St.

Why they are called 'greasing palaces' is at once evident from a view of the Beverly Hills Greasing Palace, 2222 W. 95th Street, the official opening of which takes place tomorrow. While its purpose is essentially utilitarian, the architecture and appointments are highly suggestive of things palatial. This applies especially to the ladies' lounging room. When feminine patrons wait for their cars they may wait in a room fitted with a radio, telephone, dressing table, tinted walls and comfortable furniture.

Equipment for greasing is most important, of course. It is the most modern obtainable, with four-car capacity. Automatic air greasing is supplemented by a special penetrating spring oil equipment. A watching post alongside the greasing pits is provided for men who wish to make sure that the job is done right. Battery charging is one of the features, as is tire repairing and a line of auto accessories, these primarily for the convenience of patrons.

C. P. Vagthborg, 8200 Aberdeen Street, is the owner of the Beverly Hills Greasing Palace, and John Stark is the courteous manager."

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 4

We had a Greasing Palace in Beverly with a spacious lounge room for the ladies 📸 Courtesy the Ridge Historical Society

Crop of an ad from the Weekly Review, the Beverly Hills neighborhood newspaper for the Beverly Hills Greasing Palace. Ad has a photo of said Greasing Palace with cars presumably gettin' greased up in the upper right corner. Text reads:

"Tomorrow ---
GRAND OPENING
OF THE
Beverly Hills Greasing Palace

Remember---Tomorrow---Saturday, January 14, 1928

GREASING, TIRE & BATTERY SERVICE
FOUR ENCLOSED STEAM-HEATED PITS
COMPLETE, ULTRA-MODERN APPARATUS
SPACIOUS LOUNGE ROO FOR THE LADIES

FREE --- Your car completely greased without charge if you purchase $2.00 worth of gasoline or oil from us (at regular prices). This attractive offer holds good from Jan. 14 to 31 inclusive."

Ad then goes on to list an impressive array of oils offered.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 4

i think more historic properties should offer moonlit necromantic adventures with dead architects

Screenshot from a site's listing for an event called "Moonlight & Mies." To the left is a color photo of Edith Farnsworth House. To the right is text reading:

"August 29, September 26, October 24 | 7:30 pm

See the house as you’ve never seen it before.

Join us for a special moonlight tour at Edith Farnsworth House. As the sun sets, our site takes on a calmer, quieter atmosphere, offering a unique opportunity to explore Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s masterpiece after hours. Witness the shifting light and evening reflections that make the house come alive in a completely different way.

Reserve your spot today!"

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 4

There were about a million of them in Roseland. I've been feeling that same sense of urgency about their disappearance while doing nothing to document them, & the window to do so is quickly closing. I grew up on this block. One is still there, the other is not. B&W pic by Paul Petraitis (1971)

Black and white shot offering a side view of a small brick filling station. Some sort of excavator is parked near the pumps. Late 60s/early 70s cars are partially visible as they drive by or park at the station.

A Google Street View screenshot of a small brick filling station behind a tall wrought iron fence.

A Google Street View image of a boarded up filling station.

A Google Street View image of an empty lot, covered in snow. The excavator responsible for the emptiness of this space sits guiltily in the background.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 3

me every time i checked this site today & saw photos were still down

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 2

That's why this is so funny to me

Screenshot of a quote from Hugh Morrison’s Louis Sullivan — Prophet of Modern Architecture reads “Other factors doubtless played a part in the modification of the preliminary designs of the Auditorium. There is an anecdote that John Root, on seeing some of the early designs, made some disparaging comments to the effect that Sullivan was going to ‘smear another façade with ornament,’ and that Sullivan, piqued, determined to show him that he was capable of a large simplicity.”

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 2

This then & now is absolutely wild. The restoration took over a decade and many millions of dollars, but the end result is stunning. Home Building Association Company Architect: Louis Sullivan, 1914 Restoration/renovation: Rogers Krajnak Architects Newark, Ohio

Color photo of the bank's interior. Black, white veined marble is on the floors and midway up the walls. Above this, however, are glorious Sullivan stencils on both walls and coffered ceiling. Tripods are arranged around the room holding photos celebrating the wonders of Licking County.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 2

2/2 I can't resist sharing a couple undated but extremely early 1960s era photos found in the UIC digital archive. B&W pics: UIC/Chicago Architectural Photographing Company

Black and white photo taken on angle of a big rectangle with a flat roof and a slightly off center entrance under a projecting sign. On either side of this is a lovely screen wall doing some brise-soleil work. In this early image of the building, you can see that behind this screen was originally floor to ceiling glass. The screen wall has a circular openwork pattern, separated into multiple sections that end several feet from the ground in a graceful parabolic arch that undulated across the width of the front facade, broken only by the entryway. Snow is piled in front and the trees show the bare branches of winter.

Color photo taken on angle of a big rectangle with a flat roof and a slightly off center entrance under a projecting sign. On either side of this is a lovely brise-soleil with a circular openwork pattern, separated into multiple sections that end several feet from the ground in a graceful parabolic arch that undulated across the width of the front facade, broken only by the entryway. From the left, a golden glow begins to extend across the sky as the sun sets.

Black and white photo taken inside the building. Along with vintage office furniture we can see gigantic plants sitting in pots, and offices in the background with all glass walls. The center of the building appears to be a courtyard, complete with benches and trees.

Black and white photo taken inside the building. Along with vintage office furniture arrayed in an open area, we can see at least one "private" office with floor to ceiling glass walls. Looking straight ahead is a courtyard, and the circular open work of the exterior screen wall is reflected in its glass walls.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 2

1/2 Hell yeah, Otto T Luther! Your building rocks, and a small, tasteful plaque with the architectural firm's name is name is goated when being lazy about researching a building is the vibe. Architect: Otto Luther & Associates, c.1960

Color photo of a big rectangle with a flat roof and a slightly off center entrance under a projecting sign. On either side of this is a lovely screen wall doing some brise-soleil work. It has a circular openwork pattern, and is separated into multiple sections, each of which end several feet from the ground in a graceful parabolic arch that undulates across the width of the front facade, broken only by the entryway.

Color close-up of the circular open work screen wall sections, and the elegant arches that undulate across the bottom of the structure. The circles are white, the section dividers and arches black.

Color close-up of a corner of the building with a portion of a lamppost blocking view of a portion of the front facade. On the pole is a standard green sign identifying this as "W 79TH ST" and underneath that a brown sign reading "**HONORARY** ARCHBISHOP LUCIUS HALL" Behind this the clean lines of a flat roof can be seen above the circular openwork of the screen wall and to the right, the green glazed brick that clads the side of the building.

Color close-up of a plaque embedded in green glazed brick on the side of a building. The plaque is black with raised goldish letters and reads:

OTTO T. LUTHER & CO.
ARCHITECTS

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 1

Sliding into a little lateral promotion today & will no longer have to use Salesforce

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jul 1

I love this groovy ass glass! I ran into these guys in Mt Greenwood but never got around to looking them up.

Color photo of a row of Midcentury ass buildings marching down a street. Each is big, rectilinear box with two stories over a raised basement with a cantilevered canopy over the entrance to the left and one funky ass window of both wave pattern and colorful opaque glass blocks above that. To the right, spandrels under the windows in a contrasting brick color, and on the first level, two brightly colored opaque glass blocks in a recessed frame.

Color photo of a narrow window set into a wall of highly textured blonde brick. The window is a vertically oriented rectangle with a grid of wave patterned glass blocks accented with asymmetrically arranged opaque blocks in primary colors. It looks like a poorly played game of Tetris and I love it.

Lady Topham Catt@ladytophamcatt· Jun 29

I’d also be open to storing or displaying these at my house if a funding source could be identified. Just, you know, putting that out there.