Monday, July 19, 2010

Blair Kamin on Harry Weese

Continuing the discussion on architect Harry Weese is Chicago Tribune Architecture critic Blair Kamin.  Check out this recent piece from his cityscapes blog.
"A vivid, no-holds-barred look at the life and career of the late Chicago architect Harry Weese is creating a stir in Chicago's architecture community. The story, which appears in the current issue of Chicago magazine and was written by Robert Sharoff, deals not only with Weese's eclectic architectural creations and visionary urban plans, but also his notorious boozing and womanizing."
 Check out other posts at Renown Old Town on Harry Weese here and here.

Artist Colonies of Old Town on Chicago Sojourn

My hiatus of regular posting continues, but in the meantime, please check out this recent post By Robert Powers A Chicago Sojourn.
"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 his studio and the surrounding properties."
Powers manages to do for the entire city of Chicago what I struggle do for a single neighborhood, continue to provide interest content in a timely manner.  Give him a read and see for yourself.  He also provides a good collection of photographs.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Lynn Becker on Harry Weese

A couple days ago, local Chicago architecture luminary Lynn Becker blogged about Harry Weese (June 30, 1915 - October 29, 1998), famous Chicago Architect, and former resident of Old Town, on his excellent blog, Architecture Chicago Plus
"Weese was a giant in Chicago history whose contributions went beyond his buildings, to an impassioned activism that kept Inland Architect alive for years,  and that was instrumental in saving and restoring the irreplaceable Auditorium Theater at a time when Skidmore, Owings and Merrill was recommending demolishing it and building a replacement in the shell."
 For further reading, a few months back, I wrote a piece on Weese, and specifically his project at 235 W Eugenie Street, in Old Town.  You can read it here.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Old Town Wildlife

How about celebrating our wonderful wildlife on this beautiful 4th of July!