Schlesinger and Mayer Company Store, Chicago, Illinois, Baluster 1898 - 1899

This cast iron baluster was designed by Louis Sullivan for the Schlesinger and Mayer Company Store in Chicago. It's a beautiful example of Sullivan's architectural ornamentation, displaying his organic, nature-inspired style. Sullivan's work emerged in the late 19th century during a time of rapid industrialization. His designs offered a contrast to the mass-produced, standardized aesthetics of the time. He believed architecture should be more than just functional. It should uplift the human spirit through beauty. The Schlesinger and Mayer Company Store, later known as Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building, was one of the first steel-frame structures and allowed for large windows to display merchandise. Sullivan's ornamentation, like this baluster, contributed to the store's appeal and reflected the growing consumer culture of the United States. To fully understand Sullivan's contributions, we can research the economic and social conditions of Chicago during the late 19th century, as well as the history of architectural design and department store culture. Sullivan's art, then, reminds us of the complex relationship between commerce, design, and the public good.