terra cotta Indian head, Essanay Film Manufacturing Company (1908), 1333-45 West Argyle Street, Uptown, Chicago, Illinois, USA

terra cotta Indian head, Essanay Film Manufacturing Company (1908), 1333-45 West Argyle Street, Uptown, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Image by lumierefl
originally Peerless Film Manufacturing Company founded 1907 by George K. Spoor and Gilbert M. (Broncho Billy) Anderson (1880-1971) • Indian head logo designed by Spoor's sister, Mary Louise Spoor (1887-1985), professional book illustrator

company produced over 1,400 films during 10 year history including 1st American Sherlock Holmes (1916), 1st American A Christmas Carol (1908), 1st Jesse James movie, The James Boys of Missouri (1908) and early cartoons, e.g., Bray animator Wallace Carlson's popular Dreamy Dud character in He Resolves Not to Smoke (1915)

after Essanay collapsed, Spoor developed an unsuccessful 3-D system,1923 and a 65mm widescreen format, Spoor-Berggren Natural Vision, 1930 • as independent producer Anderson produced Stan Laurel silent comedies • Spoor (1948) and Anderson (1958) received Oscars (Academy Honorary Awards) as pioneers of motion picture industry

Little Rock AK born Anderson, first cowboy star in cinema history, son of Henry and Esther Aronson, Jewish couple from NY • Anderson moved to NYC at 18, worked in theater and vaudeville, played 3 roles in Edwin S. Porter's landmark 1903 film, The Great Train Robbery

Essanay stars included Charlie Chaplin, Ben Turpin, Wallace Beery, Francis X. Bushman, Gloria Swanson, Edna Purviance, Bebe Daniels, Tom Mix and Harold Lloyd • Hollywood director Allan Dwan and gossip columnist Louella Parsons worked for Essanay as writers

Essanay hired Chaplin away from Mac Sennett's Keystone Studios, 1914, replacing 0/wk Keystone salary with ,000/wk • Chaplin made just one film in this building, His New Job (1915) • others, including The Tramp (1915) -- featuring wardrobe purchased off the rack on Chicago's State Street -- shot at/near Essanay-West studio, Niles, California • Chaplin employed by Essanay for about a year

Essanay closed Chicago studio, 1917 • building later occupied by corporate film producer Norman Wilding's Wilding Studios • currently home of St. Augustine's College

designated Chicago Landmark, 1996 • Wikipedia • filmography • history of Essanay Studios -Pyramid Beach • Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum • Reel Chicago • The MGM of Silents • Essanay Studios -Diana Dretske • The Secret History of Chicago Movies: Chaplin at Essanay -White City Cinema • Inside Charlie Chaplin's Vault –Chicago Unbelievable

marker, Essanay Film Manufacturing Company (1908), 1333-45 West Argyle Street, Uptown, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Image by lumierefl
originally Peerless Film Manufacturing Company founded 1907 by George K. Spoor and Gilbert M. (Broncho Billy) Anderson (1880-1971) • Indian head logo designed by Spoor's sister, Mary Louise Spoor (1887-1985), professional book illustrator

company produced over 1,400 films during 10 year history including 1st American Sherlock Holmes (1916), 1st American A Christmas Carol (1908), 1st Jesse James movie, The James Boys of Missouri (1908) and early cartoons, e.g., Bray animator Wallace Carlson's popular Dreamy Dud character in He Resolves Not to Smoke (1915)

after Essanay collapsed, Spoor developed an unsuccessful 3-D system,1923 and a 65mm widescreen format, Spoor-Berggren Natural Vision, 1930 • as independent producer Anderson produced Stan Laurel silent comedies • Spoor (1948) and Anderson (1958) received Oscars (Academy Honorary Awards) as pioneers of motion picture industry

Little Rock AK born Anderson, first cowboy star in cinema history, son of Henry and Esther Aronson, Jewish couple from NY • Anderson moved to NYC at 18, worked in theater and vaudeville, played 3 roles in Edwin S. Porter's landmark 1903 film, The Great Train Robbery

Essanay stars included Charlie Chaplin, Ben Turpin, Wallace Beery, Francis X. Bushman, Gloria Swanson, Edna Purviance, Bebe Daniels, Tom Mix and Harold Lloyd • Hollywood director Allan Dwan and gossip columnist Louella Parsons worked for Essanay as writers

Essanay hired Chaplin away from Mac Sennett's Keystone Studios, 1914, replacing 0/wk Keystone salary with ,000/wk • Chaplin made just one film in this building, His New Job (1915) • others, including The Tramp (1915) -- featuring wardrobe purchased off the rack on Chicago's State Street -- shot at/near Essanay-West studio, Niles, California • Chaplin employed by Essanay for about a year

Essanay closed Chicago studio, 1917 • building later occupied by corporate film producer Norman Wilding's Wilding Studios • currently home of St. Augustine's College

designated Chicago Landmark, 1996 • Wikipedia • filmography • history of Essanay Studios -Pyramid Beach • Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum • Reel Chicago • The MGM of Silents • Essanay Studios -Diana Dretske • The Secret History of Chicago Movies: Chaplin at Essanay -White City Cinema • Inside Charlie Chaplin's Vault –Chicago Unbelievable

NYC - NoLIta: Puck Building

Image by wallyg
The Puck Building, at 295-307 Lafayette Street, was originally built to house the offices and printing plant of Puck, America's first successful humor magazine, and J. Ottman Lithographing Co., which printed the magazine's famous chromolithographc cartoons. The Romanesque Revival or Rundbogenstil (German round-arched neo-Romanesque) style building features two gilded figures of Shakespeare's character Puck in its façade--the one at the original entrance on Houston and Mulberry by Casper Buberl, and the one on Lafayette Street by Henry Baerer.

The two original wings, designed by Albert Wagner in 1885-86 and 1892-93, fronted only on Houston and Mulberry Streets. In the late 1890's, Lafayette Street was extended through the block, and two bays of the Puck Building's Houston Street facade and the building's entire west wall were demolished. Herman Wagner designed the new Lafayette Street elevation to conform to the original design.

Puck Magazine ceased publication in 1918 and the building now contains office space as well as ballrooms for large events on both the ground floor and the top floor. In the 1980s it was the home of Spy Magazine, whose editors informally dubbed it "The Spy Building". In the early 2000s, the building housed the Manhattan Center of Pratt Institute. Since 2004, the Puck Building has been home to New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

The Puck Building was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1983.

National Register #83001740 (1983)

NYC - NoLIta: Puck Building

Image by wallyg
The Puck Building, at 295-307 Lafayette Street, was originally built to house the offices and printing plant of Puck, America's first successful humor magazine, and J. Ottman Lithographing Co., which printed the magazine's famous chromolithographc cartoons. The Romanesque Revival or Rundbogenstil (German round-arched neo-Romanesque) style building features two gilded figures of Shakespeare's character Puck in its façade--the one at the original entrance on Houston and Mulberry by Casper Buberl, and the one on Lafayette Street by Henry Baerer.

The two original wings, designed by Albert Wagner in 1885-86 and 1892-93, fronted only on Houston and Mulberry Streets. In the late 1890's, Lafayette Street was extended through the block, and two bays of the Puck Building's Houston Street facade and the building's entire west wall were demolished. Herman Wagner designed the new Lafayette Street elevation to conform to the original design.

Puck Magazine ceased publication in 1918 and the building now contains office space as well as ballrooms for large events on both the ground floor and the top floor. In the 1980s it was the home of Spy Magazine, whose editors informally dubbed it "The Spy Building". In the early 2000s, the building housed the Manhattan Center of Pratt Institute. Since 2004, the Puck Building has been home to New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

The Puck Building was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1983.

National Register #83001740 (1983)

NYC - NoLIta: Puck Building

Image by wallyg
The Puck Building, at 295-307 Lafayette Street, was originally built to house the offices and printing plant of Puck, America's first successful humor magazine, and J. Ottman Lithographing Co., which printed the magazine's famous chromolithographc cartoons. The Romanesque Revival or Rundbogenstil (German round-arched neo-Romanesque) style building features two gilded figures of Shakespeare's character Puck in its façade--the one at the original entrance on Houston and Mulberry by Casper Buberl, and the one on Lafayette Street by Henry Baerer.

The two original wings, designed by Albert Wagner in 1885-86 and 1892-93, fronted only on Houston and Mulberry Streets. In the late 1890's, Lafayette Street was extended through the block, and two bays of the Puck Building's Houston Street facade and the building's entire west wall were demolished. Herman Wagner designed the new Lafayette Street elevation to conform to the original design.

Puck Magazine ceased publication in 1918 and the building now contains office space as well as ballrooms for large events on both the ground floor and the top floor. In the 1980s it was the home of Spy Magazine, whose editors informally dubbed it "The Spy Building". In the early 2000s, the building housed the Manhattan Center of Pratt Institute. Since 2004, the Puck Building has been home to New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

The Puck Building was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1983.

National Register #83001740 (1983)