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Reposted by dmercer.bsky.social

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 15h

The United States is now officially allied with Vladimir Putin and Russia. We will fund Russia’s genocidal war machine in exchange for Putin helping Trump and the Republican Party in the midterms. One of the most shameful and disgusting days in the history of this Republic.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 13h

S. Kolmar in Archer Heights, Chicago

Two-story mid-century 2-flat (probably with a basement apartment) clad in cream brick. It has a hipped roof with overhanging eaves, 5 vertical windows on both the first and second floors, and a flat roof over the entrance on the left. Above the entrance are two pairs of clear glass blocks combined with either turquoise bricks or thin slices of turquoise glass block. In front of the building is part of the trunk of a dead tree, still in the ground and adorned on the top with two fake white birds.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 17h

Yeah--too bad it's so plain.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 17h

Lobby, Chicago Board of Trade. 1930, Holabird and Root, architects

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 18h

@dmercer52.bsky.social Glass block, breeze block, and a random bit of red brick. West Elsdon, Chicago

One part of a 2-story commercial building clad in yellow brick. The first floor has two large store windows, shaded with reddish-brown awnings and separated by a random panel of dark red brick. Above the awnings is a large area of cream colored breeze block in a sort of flower pattern. To the right are six white sculptured glass modules--four with the pyramid pattern, and two wedges. The overall effect is one of disorganization.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 21h

5500 block of S. Komensky, Chicago. Probably built by Oak Park contractor Angelo Esposito in the late 1950s. He has several other similar buildings in Oak Park, River Forest, and elsewhere, including the monkey buildings mentioned in the article from 1956.

Section of the facade of a mid-century modern two-flat. It is clad in red brick, tan Roman brick, and multi-colored faux stone around the entrance on the left. The outside door is aluminum with panels of orange, turquoise, and green glass and there are two clear glass blocks to the right of the door. Above the slightly slanted porch roof is a large stone or concrete wall that contains a bas relief of the god Mercury (I think), running to the left with the sun setting in the background.

Section of the facade of another mid-century modern two-flat. It is clad in red brick, red Roman brick, and multi-colored faux stone around the entrance on the left. The door is on the left and is protected by a slanted brick wall with three glass blocks in it on the far left and a tilted flat roof above. Above the porch roof is a large stone or concrete wall that contains a bas relief of a butterfly with the sun setting in the background.

Section of the facade of a third mid-century modern two-flat. It is clad in cream brick, red Roman brick, and multi-colored faux stone around the entrance on the right. Above the slightly slanted porch roof is a large stone or concrete wall that contains a bas relief of a naked guy playing a flute with the sun shining in the background.

1956 article about three buildings in River Forest, Illinois, designed by Angelo Esposito, who also designed the three previous buildings. The three in River Forest have bas reliefs of monkeys depicting see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. All have the sun setting in the background.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 22h

#FormerTavernFriday 2301 S. Western, Chicago. Clipping is from 1913.

Two-story corner building with a flat roof. It is clad in tan glazed structural blocks with a stripe of brown running across the top. There are two windows on the second floor of the front elevation, with brown glazed blocks arranged in a diamond shaped between them. The first floor windows on the front are bordered by clear glass block and a band of brown glazed blocks. The door is on the left.

Clipping from 1913: "Would-be Robber Felled." The saloonkeeper at 2301 S. Western foiled a robbery by knocking a gun from the robber's hand. Another patron "swept him off his feet with a broom."

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Columbus Park, Chicago, on a perfect day

Stratified stonework creates a waterfall and pond, surrounded by trees in the dappled sunlight

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Those slanted bits on the bottom are so strange.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

More sculptured glass modules from Chicago's West Elsdon neighborhood.

Another mid-century 2-flat, this one clad in cream brick on top and orange Roman brick on the bottom and around the door on the right. The entrance has a sightly slanted flat roof, a slanted brick side wall, and two turquoise glass modules using the leaf pattern. Above the entrance are three horizontal panels of eight glass blocks, all turquoise and all with the leaf pattern.

Reposting this as a reminder of the most common Pittsburgh Corning sculptured glass modules: harlequin, leaf, pyramid, and wedge.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

When checkerboard brick needs jazzing up. Archer Heights, Chicago

1960s-'70s 2-flat of light tan brick with a bit of Permastone around the foundation. The entrance, at right, has a slanted flat roof, thin stone stripes around the door, and two clear wavy glass blocks to the left. Above the slated roof is a vertical panel of red and tan brick in a checkerboard pattern that also includes a smaller panel of yellow and white glass modules in the pyramid design, also arranged in a checkerboard pattern. It's a bit of overkill.

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Reposted by dmercer.bsky.social

Lady Topham Catt @ladytophamcatt.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I am once again asking for one of our intrepid Chicago designers to get "SHUT THE FUCK UP, RAHM" merch on the market ASAP

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

5907 S. Kolmar, Chicago. Such a weird facade.

1.5-story brick cottage? with a non-original Permastone and red brick facade. The house has a gable roof with a stepped roof line on the stone facade. There is a band of red brick running horizontally across the middle, which contains a 5-panel window and three sculptured glass modules in the leaf pattern--one red, one white, and one blue

Screen shot from Google showing the tan brick wall behind the goofy stone facade.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

A painted lady butterfly hanging on

Orange, black, brown, and white butterfly drinking the last drop from a pink zinnia with an orange zinnia close by.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

5832-38 W. North Ave., Chicago. 1927, M. L. Loewenberg, architect (I think).

Three-story cream brick and stone apartment building, with commercial space on the first floor. There are smooth stone quoins at the corners and rough stone sills below the windows. The entrance on this side has an arched opening with an oriel window, filled in with glass block, above it. There are carved stone panels along the roof line and above two of the windows on the third floor. The corner on the right has a two-story turret-like projection with smooth stone trim.

Building permit from August 17, 1926. Owner: Morris Comiss; architect: Lowenberg [sic]; cost: $70,000.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The stupid Braves chop makes me want them to lose even more.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I want to own this. It's on a wall at the American Terra Cotta Company museum in Crystal Lake.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

4343 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn, Illinois

Three-story red brick L-shaped mid-century apartment building. Large brick piers bisect each wing and decorated with a checkerboard pattern of wavy clear and white glass blocks.

Closer view of one of the piers and the seemingly randomly placed glass blocks.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

River Grove, Illinois. I'm not sure how to categorize this one.

One-story red brick cottage with some Tudor Revival influences. The roof is a side-facing clipped gable. The entrance on the right has an arched opening and a steeply pitched cross gable above it. There is a three-sided brick bay that dominates the facade and is decorated with red tile along the bay's flat roof. Small windows on either side of the bay are bordered by stone trim.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Last Tanzania post: favorite birds

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

#TurretTuesday McKinley Park, Chicago. The first floor facade apparently staged a rebellion in the mid-20th century.

Two-story red brick corner building with a pressed metal polygonal turret on one corner. The turret is decorated with foliage and swags and topped with a cornice supported by brackets. The cornice actually runs across the top of the entire building with dentils underneath. The first floor facade was remodeled, perhaps in the 1960s, with slightly lighter color brick and window and door surrounds out of the Jetsons.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Sure. But my question is why does the Tokyo Sewerage Bureau need a mascot? To improve the reputation of sewage?

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Reposted by dmercer.bsky.social

kat, ghost of helenruthsghost @chaoskat.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Pope must be watching now

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

My fever for more glass block continues. I found these today in Schiller Park, Illinois

2.5-story 1970s? six-flat clad in cream brick, both smooth and split face.The entrance is in the center and has an incongruous little gabled roof over it. Above the little gable is a panel of clear and yellow glass block, using the wedge pattern of sculptured glass modules from Pittsburgh Corning.

2.5-story 1970s? six-flat clad in cream brick, both smooth and split face.The entrance is in the center and has a little shed roof over it. Above that is a panel of clear, wavy glass block and red sculptured glass modules using the pyramid design from Pittsburgh Corning.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I think the building is for other things, too, and the company no longer makes terra cotta, so maybe that's why.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The building that houses the American Terra Cotta Company Museum in Crystal Lake.

Two-story 1980s office building of red brick and glass.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Various antelope I saw in Tanzania. Names are in the alt text

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Yes. I should have mentioned that. the ultimate irony.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

3800 block of S. Ashland, Chicago. I love it when developers tear down historic buildings and then try to atone by sticking something on the new building that shows how much they appreciate the city's architecture. www.preservationchicago.org/threatened-s...

Gray wall of a 2025 warehouse building on Ashland Ave. Murals depicting famous Chicago buildings and other landmarks have been painted to give the impression that the owner/developer cares about Chicago architecture.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

In case you need to make a call while stuck in traffic on the Eisenhower

A section of curbing along the shoulder of an expressway. There is a metal panel bolted to the concrete and the word "PHONE" painted in red next to it with a line connecting the word and the panel. In the background is a row of stopped traffic going the other way.

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dmercer.bsky.social @dmercer.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

On the grounds of the former American Terra Cotta Company in Crystal Lake, Illinois

Large Art Deco cream-colored terra cotta panel from a hotel in St. Charles, Illinois. It depicts various forms of transportation, including covered wagon, airplane, locomotive, horse, and dinosaur! across the bottom. The large central panel is celebrating the automobile, with an image of a car with two naked flappers on either side, along with foliage, swirls and wing-like decoration.

Glazed green terra cotta cylinder, about 6 feet tall, decorated with flowers and foliage and topped with a brown and cream brick cap.

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