Chicago Collections Sale to Feature City’s Art Deco Past

Hindman’s upcoming two-day Chicago Collections sale highlights antique architectural elements from late 19th and early 20th-century Chicago. The city was a hub of Art Deco activity before the Great Depression set in. Traces of the style remain along the Chicago River, in the downtown Loop area, and the hands of private collectors. Available in this auction is a polychrome enameled terra-cotta cornice panel from the Richman Brothers Building. Likely constructed by Adler and Sullivan in 1884, this cornice once adorned a stylish department store built to honor Chicago’s rapid urbanization. It bears typical Art Deco motifs, symmetrical scrollwork, and faded shades of red, yellow, and green. Other notable architectural elements in the sale include an ornamental panel from the Kansas City Board of Trade Building and a plaster statue from the Granada Theatre in Chicago.  

This auction also includes a selection of decorative art from the estate of Edwin L. Cox of Dallas, Texas. The oil magnate and philanthropist was an avid collector of both Impressionist paintings and sculptural works of art. Among the key lots from his estate is a pair of Lalique Cygnes figures. These frosted glass swans have detailed wings, slender necks, and expressive eyes. Bidders will also find a horse sculpture by Charles Umlauf and caricature lithographs from Edmond Xavier Kapp for The Law Journal. Find the listings and register to bid on Hindman’s website.