Richard Nickel Studio

“From 1961 to 1972, Nickel worked to raise public awareness and appreciation of Chicago's important historic architecture through such efforts as his advocacy to save threatened buildings and through his leadership and participation in organizations such as the Chicago Heritage Committee, the first preservation advocacy organization in Chicago, which he co-founded.”

“At the time, the Rothschild Building was the oldest-surviving Adler & Sullivan building and was significant for its cast-iron ornamentation at its top (fifth-floor) story. The Art Institute of Chicago had agreed to acquire the cast-iron elements at Nickel's urging.”

“While ultimately unsuccessful, the tactics employed by Nickel mark the fight to save the Garrick as one of the first and most prominent grass-roots preservation efforts in Chicago.”

“In 1954 Siskind and Nickel mounted an exhibit of student photographs from the "Adler & Sullivan project” at the Institute of Design which received favorable press coverage. This was the first photographic exhibition of Adler & Sullivan's architecture, a subject that at the time had received scant attention from academics as well as the public.2 After receiving his undergraduate degree, Nickel continued with graduate studies in photography at the Institute of Design which by this time had merged with the Illinois Institute of Technology.”

“In the years after the fight to save the Garrick, Nickel continued to work for preservation of Chicago's historic architecture through research, advocacy, photographic documentation, salvage of architectural ornament, and in raising public awareness of the city's important historic architecture.”

“After purchasing the building in 1969, Richard Nickel used the building as a base for his architectural salvage work, storing tools and equipment for salvage work there and photographing and storing architectural fragments there, including pieces from the Chicago Stock Exchange and other important buildings.”

“Aclass by Siskind required students to identify and photograph buildings and architectural ornament of Dankmar Adler and Louis Henri Sullivan. This project sparked Nickel's lifelong obsession with historic architecture in general, and the work of Adler & Sullivan in particular.”

“He convinced museums and universities to write to City Hall to request fragments from the Garrick, and he succeeded in raising $26,000 to fund the work.10 From February to June 1961, Nickel with his friends architect John Vinci and architecture student David Norris were granted permission by the building owner to salvage interior and exterior ornament from the Garrick.”

“After Nickel's death, the building was sold. The interior has been completely changed, but the exterior has remained much as it appeared in 1972. The building is color-coded "orange" in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey for its overall architectural design and craftsmanship.”