Undertaking any architectural photography project requires playing the angles, the literal ones like elevations, perspectives, etc. and the figurative ones such as how to gain site access and how to best present the results. Currently, I'm working with architectural historian Wendy Bright on a guide book to the still-standing Chicago buildings of architect Louis Sullivan. One of the buildings is his turn-of-the-century home for the Ann Halsted family on W. Belden Street. As I would find, the angles were indeed important.
The Ann Halsted House, W. Belden Street
Mrs. Halsted was recently widowed from a wealthy shipowner and needed a new home for herself and her five children in 1883 when she somehow found the relatively new firm of D. Adler & Company, where Sullivan was the junior partner. Adler & Sullivan had designed several buildings prior to the Halsted house, but nothing hinting at the transformative role Sullivan would play in American architecture. Adler was a master engineer and assumed the business functions for the firm, whereas Sullivan was the designer and artistic visionary.
Luckily the house faces south on the 400 block of West Belden Street providing good lighting throughout the day, especially in winter when the angle of the sun is low in the sky. Winter is a good time to photograph the house because there are no leaves on the trees; during the rest of the year the leaves obscure large sections of the building.
The Ann Halsted House represents Sullivan's entry into the Queen Anne style, marked by asymmetrical facades, gabled roofs and second-story porches. Sullivan's influence is evident in several aspect's of the home, most notably the front, triangular dormers.
Front facade showing triangular dormers on the second floor.
The front and especially the side yards of the home are tight. Therefore, I had to shoot at a severe, upward angle. Normally I like to straighten the vertical lines in an architectural shot, but here I just went with the flow in several of the photographs. Actually the tilt provides a bit of drama, I think.
Sullivan rejected the late-Victorian preference for fussy, ornamental designs and deployed simpler floral or geometric elements as seen in the following three images of the home's frieze, brickwork and the lintel above one of the side windows .
I was very interested in photographing some of the details within the home. However, this is a private house and I had to think of an angle that would allay any concerns the homeowner might have about letting in a stranger. In addition to "honesty is the best policy," I decided to play up the fact that I was a neighbor, living only a few blocks away. Luckily, the owners were very nice people and after hearing about my project agreed to have me stop by a few days later.
The interior of the home includes some splendid stained-glass windows.
I remember a seasoned photographer once telling me to adopt a 360 degree perspective when looking for a good image; don't get too focused on any one angle, he said. With that in mind, I looked down, seeking more evidence of possible Sullivan influences inside the home and found this detailed woodwork on the floor.
The homeowner told me that the fireplace was original to the house. I can believe that as it bore signs of Sullivan's handiwork in the mantel and surround.
With so much architectural interest inside and on the front facade of the home, I almost forgot to look at the back, the reverse angle. The home has a beautiful back yard, yet the rear facade is quite plain. Perhaps Sullivan and Adler figured few people would ever see that view.
The Ann Halsted House is the oldest, extant Sullivan & Adler home. From an architectural and a photographic perspective, and really from any angle, it is well worth a visit.
Note: the Anne Halsted House is a private residence. Please respect the homeowners' rights and privacy.