Prairie Avenue research library · T-2199 · reviewed 9 October 2026
Target: 1 July 1904, exterior and courtyard. Ten of the 17 previously unreviewed records now have inspected image or document material. These are record counts: several refer to the same PDF or photographic exposure.
10 / 17records recovered and reviewed
7records still lack viewable images
1additional IIT exterior view
No newly recovered photograph settles the pre-1904 courtyard, hidden roof junctions or summer planting. The 29 remaining completion tickets stay on manual hold. The existing dark-glass and roof corrections are preserved; this pass changes research records, not house geometry.
Seven records still lack viewable images: #015, #025, #128–131 and #140. “Metadata only” means the catalog was recovered or retained, not that the underlying photograph was inspected. Rights remain separate from online availability.
#015 · unavailable
ICHi-37646; attributed to J. W. Taylor in the existing catalog record; exposure identity unverified.
Date: n.d.
Rights: copyright — link only
HTTPS catalog returned HTTP 503; original HTTP URL timed out. Search indexing corroborates title/Taylor attribution but supplies no reviewed image.
Independent evidence: Unresolved; do not count a separate exposure.
#017 · image recovered
Taylor negative 9974, report PDF page 24.
Date: undated historic photograph (reproduced 1973)
Rights: unknown — link only
PDF recovered and page 24 visually compared with audit #016: same foreground tree, sidewalk shadows, buildings and negative number.
Independent evidence: Duplicate of #016; wider #010/011/012/019 family remains qualified.
#025 · unavailable
1951 Prairie Avenue south from 18th Street; exact exposure unverified.
Date: 1951
Rights: copyright — link only
HTTPS catalog returned HTTP 503; original HTTP URL timed out. Indexed Encyclopedia listings credit Chicago Daily News; no image inspected.
Independent evidence: Unresolved; 1951 cannot establish the 1904 scene.
#029 · document recovered
24-page March 1973 Prairie Avenue district research report.
Date: March 1973
Rights: unknown — link only
PDF recovered; Glessner passage on PDF page 10 and image on page 24 reviewed. Page 24 duplicates Taylor 9974 (#017/#016).
Independent evidence: Secondary written context; its photograph is not independent evidence.
#030 · document recovered
Inter Ocean, 2 January 1887, reproduced transcription on Chicagology.
Date: January 2, 1887
Rights: public domain
Transcription reviewed: construction still underway; continuous house/stable outer wall, small street windows, sloping roof and enclosed grounds described. Original newspaper scan not recovered in this pass.
Independent evidence: Independent written construction-period context; transcription accuracy not checked against the original.
#032 · document recovered
Chicago Tribune, 19 April 1885, residence-lot sale transcription on Chicagology.
Date: April 19, 1885
Rights: public domain
Transcription reviewed: southwest corner of Prairie and 18th sold to J. J. Glessner for $50,000; future house planned. Original newspaper scan not recovered in this pass.
Independent evidence: Independent acquisition context; no as-built dimensions or appearance.
#046 · image recovered
AIC mqc/25521, Box 10, filename 80214; lantern slide of Houghton preliminary elevation.
Date: c. 1885 (drawing); slide undated
Rights: unknown — link only
Holder download is a JPEG; central-gable design visually compared with HABS #035. The slide is a reproduction of the unbuilt scheme.
Independent evidence: Same preliminary-design family as #035/#037/#047, not independent as-built corroboration.
#099 · image recovered
Cornell 10035008 / 15/5/3090.00155, ca. 1887 albumen print.
Date: ca. 1887
Rights: public domain
Cornell catalog and public-domain statement recovered. Old Artstor link returns a browser challenge; the catalog-linked JSTOR IIIF service returns the image. Compared with #006: identical figures, propped frames, trees and temporary works.
Independent evidence: Same construction exposure as #006/#103/#110; not a new camera view.
#128 · metadata only
George Barford, courtyard; collection 2008.3, Box 2.1, mqc/36957.
Date: undated; collection labeled c. 1945–
Rights: copyright — link only
Catalog API recovered. Download is a 34-byte InternetShortcut to about:blank, not an image; IIIF info returns HTTP 501.
Independent evidence: Unknown until the print is examined; do not treat the catalog description as a visual finding.
#129 · metadata only
George Barford, exterior; collection 2008.3, Box 2.1, mqc/36641.
Date: undated; collection labeled c. 1945–
Rights: copyright — link only
Catalog API recovered. Download is a 34-byte InternetShortcut to about:blank, not an image; IIIF info returns HTTP 501.
Independent evidence: Unknown until the print is examined.
#130 · metadata only
George Barford, side door; collection 2008.3, Box 2.1, mqc/37021.
Date: undated; collection labeled c. 1945–
Rights: copyright — link only
Catalog API recovered. Download is a 34-byte InternetShortcut to about:blank, not an image; IIIF info returns HTTP 501.
Independent evidence: Unknown until the print is examined; door location and phase unresolved.
#131 · metadata only
George Barford, window detail; collection 2008.3, Box 2.1, mqc/37298.
Date: undated; collection labeled c. 1945–
Rights: copyright — link only
Current download is a 34-byte InternetShortcut to about:blank; IIIF returns HTTP 501; metadata API timed out twice. Identity retained from the prior audit API record.
Independent evidence: Unknown until the print is examined; no window profile inferred.
#140 · metadata only
AIC 1975.425, artwork 141989; Richard Nickel, printed by Patrice Grimbert.
Date: c. 1950/72, printed 1973
Rights: copyright — link only
API recovered with image identifier and is_public_domain=false. Public webpage and two IIIF image sizes return HTTP 403; browser-service retrieval also unavailable. No visual finding made from the tiny API placeholder.
Independent evidence: Unknown; do not equate this print with the two 1972 nomination photographs merely because Nickel made them.
#164 · image recovered
NRHP 72000452, PDF page 24: owner-of-property lot map.
Date: received April 18, 1972
Rights: unknown — link only
Map visually inspected: 1972 owner entries and parcel diagram, with April 18 receipt stamp. Ownership and lot boundaries are not a 1904 footprint survey.
Independent evidence: Distinct later cadastral context; same nomination container as #165–167.
#165 · image recovered
NRHP 72000452, PDF page 40: proposed 18th Street arterial sketch.
Date: c. 1970s (correspondence section of file; undated sketch)
Rights: unknown — link only
Sketch visually inspected: proposed road/grade changes and district boundary, not a built 1904 street layout. Author and creation date not established. Federal custody alone does not clear a contributed drawing.
Independent evidence: Distinct proposal context; excluded from 1904 geometry.
#166 · image recovered
NRHP photo 3: PDF page 30 image, page 31 form; Commission negative 1972.39.
Date: 1972
Rights: unknown — link only
Image and form visually inspected. Form credits Richard Nickel, 1972. Elevated northeast view includes the roof masses and altered industrial surroundings at limited detail.
Independent evidence: Distinct later exposure from photo 4; useful contextual comparison, not 1904 roof-junction proof.
#167 · image recovered
NRHP photo 4: PDF page 32 image, page 33 form; Commission negative 1972.64.
Date: 1972
Rights: unknown — link only
Image and form visually inspected. Form credits Richard Nickel, 1972. Street view has Glessner at right and Kimball at left; modern paving, cars and lighting belong to 1972.
Independent evidence: Distinct later exposure from photo 3; street context only.
Nearly straight-on Prairie facade: ridge caps, three stacks, eaves/gutter, corner downpipe, paired and grouped windows, entrance and boundary stones are readable. Heavy climbing vegetation obscures masonry and openings. The 1945 vegetation, paving and signs are not evidence of their 1904 state. No dimensions or material colors are derived from this monochrome view.
1945, photographer unknown. IIT 0360401-W1-02-003; Box W-1, Folder 2. In copyright; link only. IIT catalog
VRC 36, 19th–20th Century North American Architecture Photograph Collection, Box 34, “J.J. Glessner House [7 photographs]”, finding-aid PDF page 18. The collection mixes original prints and published reproductions; these seven items are not seven established independent exposures.
Item dates, view directions and digitization status are unspecified. The finding aid records a July 2026 stewardship transfer to Beinecke. Material is open for research; copyright was not transferred to Yale. Seek contact sheets and item-level information before making visual claims.
Priority reflects the uncertainty a view could resolve. These are requests for evidence, not claims that an archive holds the requested photograph. A later view can constrain form only when its alteration history is recorded.
P0 · H01
Request: Full bow, hall steps, turret base and their ground junctions; seek a dated original or documented pre-1904 exposure.
Resolves: Resolves bow footprint, curved steps/cheek wall, pavement levels and service attachments. The 1948 Florian courtyard views show later condition; they do not settle 1904.
Best next lead: Museum dated albums first; ask whether Yale Box 34 or Barford courtyard covers this angle. Neither catalog proves it does.
T-2200 · T-2206 · T-2212 · T-2218 · T-2224
P0 · H02
Request: Stable face, loft access, boundary wall and gate visible together, with both corners included.
Resolves: Resolves southern enclosure, stable/cupola context, rear gate, service stairs and planting layout. No newly recovered pre-1904 courtyard view in this pass.
Best next lead: Museum family albums; Barford courtyard may inform later comparison only until dated.
T-2201 · T-2207 · T-2223 · T-2225
P0 · H03
Request: Overlapping oblique views of ridge-to-valley junctions, dormers, turret, bow roof, stack backs and flashing. Prefer dated photographs before July 1904.
Resolves: Resolves hidden roof breaks, cap profiles, stack phases and drainage junctions. NRHP photo 3 is an elevated 1972 overview with insufficient joint detail.
Best next lead: Museum roof/restoration records and dated historic views; use 1948 Florian GX112.24/25 as later comparison, not target-year proof.
T-2205 · T-2206 · T-2220 · T-2221 · T-2222
P1 · H04
Request: Straight-on and oblique stable/rear views including doors, window reveals, loft fittings, cupola and ground level.
Resolves: Resolves attachment positions, opening depth and the west boundary. Disputed Lowe #112 remains quarantined.
Best next lead: Ask museum and Yale for identified west/stable views; AIC Barford exterior has no orientation in the catalog.
T-2200 · T-2207 · T-2211 · T-2223
P1 · H05
Request: Dated close-ups of both porte-cochere leaves and main-entry door, hinge straps, locks, grille, threshold and jamb returns.
Resolves: Resolves leaf construction and hardware placement. Rejected door drawing #089 stays excluded; Barford side-door identity is unresolved.
Best next lead: Museum conservation photographs and hardware inventory; ask AIC which opening Barford mqc/37021 shows. 1948 GX112.10 is later corroboration.
T-2216 · T-2217
P1 · H06
Request: Dated, preferably June–August, paired courtyard/street views with vines, planting beds, tree crowns and visible bare-wall areas.
Resolves: Resolves species/extent/height and seasonal density. IIT 1945 heavy climbing vegetation cannot be backdated; the undated Taylor 9974 reproduction cannot fix the 1904 planting state.
Best next lead: Museum dated albums, garden records and restoration chronology. Seek photo date and season separately.
T-2224 · T-2225
P2 · H07
Request: Measured present-day granite, courtyard brick/limestone, roof tile and copper samples with gray/color reference; documented replacement dates.
Resolves: Resolves scale, finish and color calibration. Monochrome historic photographs support form/tonal pattern, not absolute albedo or current weathering in 1904.
Best next lead: Museum-authorized measured photography and conservation documentation; preserve original/replacement distinctions.
T-2203 · T-2208 · T-2209 · T-2210 · T-2220 · T-2226
Photograph current fabric as a separately dated measurement layer. Obtain the museum’s restoration chronology for replaced doors, glazing, roof/copper, rainwater goods, paving, vines and service stairs before carrying any feature into 1904.
Prepared for owner review. No messages, reproduction orders or payments were sent. Request research access, item identity and rights terms separately; request a quote before any paid work.
To the Ryerson & Burnham Archives:
For a reconstruction of the Glessner exterior and courtyard as of 1 July 1904, could you provide research contact sheets or existing scans of collection 2008.3, Box 2.1: mqc/36957 (courtyard), 36641 (exterior), 37021 (side door) and 37298 (window detail)? The public downloads currently contain about:blank shortcuts. Please include verso captions, photograph dates or their basis, negative/print identifiers, the side-door/window locations, and any known duplicate exposures. Please state reproduction/online-display terms and quote any fee before work is ordered.
Archive contact route; catalog provides archives@artic.edu.
Could you confirm the view shown in artwork 141989, Untitled (J.J. Glessner House), accession 1975.425, photographed c.1950–1972 and printed by Patrice Grimbert in 1973? The public image endpoint is inaccessible in our retrieval pass. A research preview and any negative/exposure identifier would help distinguish it from Commission negatives 1972.39 and 1972.64 in the Prairie Avenue nomination. Please advise access and reproduction terms; no reproduction order is being placed.
Could you supply current catalog/image links and research previews for Encyclopedia of Chicago pages 10382 (View of Prairie Avenue South of 18th Street, J. W. Taylor, ICHi-37646, undated) and 10389 (Prairie Avenue South of 18th Street, 1951)? Please confirm the latter’s image identifier and Chicago Daily News credit, each exposure date/basis, and whether the Taylor image is negative 9974 or a separate exposure. Please state rights and any quoted fees before an order.
The current VRC 36 finding aid lists seven J.J. Glessner House photographs in Box 34 and notes transfer of stewardship to Beinecke in July 2026. Could you identify their dates, creators, views, verso text and source/publication information, and advise whether research contact sheets or scans already exist? Our priorities are pre-July-1904 courtyard east/west views, west/stable fittings and roof/chimney intersections. Please distinguish original prints from reproductions and provide access/rights terms and a quote before any paid copying.
Do the family albums or conservation files contain identified pre-1904 courtyard east/west views, original door/hardware details, roof intersections, or dated summer planting photographs? We have compared the 1887 construction exposure and the July 1948 Florian views, but these do not resolve the target-year courtyard. Could you identify any additional images with their dates/rights and provide the alteration chronology for exterior fabric, rainwater goods, courtyard paving and service stairs? The linked measured-photo brief describes the current-fabric views sought separately.
The bounded pass used the supplied catalog URLs, holder APIs/download links and catalog-linked IIIF services; retried failed public routes; searched the two Encyclopedia identities and the Barford/Nickel leads; and read the IIT and Yale catalogs. Retrieved photographs and relevant PDF pages were visually inspected. Textual newspaper records were read as transcriptions, not scans of the original newspaper pages. No restricted file, authentication challenge or paid service was bypassed.
The four Barford download payloads are literal InternetShortcut files pointing at about:blank. Collection dates are not individual exposure dates. The Nickel API’s tiny placeholder is not sufficient for a visual ruling. Federal custody does not establish public-domain rights for contributed photographs or sketches: #165 has been changed from public domain to unknown/link-only, preserving the former claim in correction history.
Retrieval request outcomes and source hashes · Canonical published image index · Prior T-2198 review
Prepared 9 October 2026. Historical photographs and restricted source PDFs are not copied into this report. Online availability is an observation from this pass, not a guarantee of future access.