Chicago Tudor Revival AF
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tudoraf.bsky.social
Chicago Tudor Revival AF
@tudoraf.bsky.social
1.2K followers 270 following 2.3K posts
Lesser building nerd
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tudoraf.bsky.social
606 walk featuring brutalist, Renaissance Revival, neo-eclectic, and Very Brick styles
Color photo of a curving concrete barrier, eight levels of beveled shelves, filled with dirt and dried out plants. Color photo of St. Mary of the Angels, a huge church in red brick. On top is a large dome with a substantial drum and lil lantern. A troop of angels on the parapet below. Color photo of a wide 3-story newer apartment building. Peach brick on 2nd and 3rd floors, above brown brick with connected stone(ish) arches windows surrounds on ground floor. Nice dichromatic diapering on parapet and green tile(ish) roofs above some entrances. Color photo of the corner of the top story and a half of an industrial building entirely in common brick. No ornament necessary.
November 16, 2025 at 10:50 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
MCM cousins in West Ridge, 2956 W. Bryn Mawr and 2814 W. Morse, both likely mid-1950s
Color photo of a two-ish story midcentury home, with multi-skillion (thank you for the vocab, @ladytophamcatt.bsky.social) roofs. On left, lower section, a wall of glass in 9 panes, below siding in the gable. On the right, red brick with small section of windows and rough stone at the half-story level. Roof on left side meets the middle about two feet below the roof on the right section. Garage, in rough stone and pale green paint, on the far right. Color photo of a midcentury home in tan brick with a multi-skillion roof. Big Chicago style window on left. On right, smaller windows higher up and for basement. Roof on left at sharper angle and to the front. Roof on right at chiller angle, above and behind left roof.
November 16, 2025 at 3:52 AM
tudoraf.bsky.social
Underrated maple tree foliage in Indian Boundary Park
Color photo of a medium-sized maple tree in a city park. Big round crown with little bit of trunk visible below. Leaves are turning, mostly yellow with a little green. Ground covered in yellow-brown leaves.
November 14, 2025 at 3:20 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
Summer definitely over in Lincolnwood
Color photo of same Dairy Star sign in previous posts. Now reads: THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER GREAT YEAR!
November 12, 2025 at 8:47 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
South of Devon in West Ridge, 6236 N. Albany. Here's the permit!
Scan of an old building permit for 6236 N. Albany, a 2-story apartment building, 24[superscript 8] x 65 x 30. B. Bernat? owner, E. Steinborn architect. Cost: $10,000. 12/13/1939, final report 4/22/1940.
November 12, 2025 at 3:07 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
I love these! My contribution to the theme, built 1939-40.
Color photo of a modernist two-flat in tan brick. Parapet and stretch between the first and second floors have courses of recessed red brick, making neat stripes. Large three-paned windows for each apartment, in center-right. On left, small entrance section in rough stone, possibly artificial. A pair of small windows each on section between floors and on second floor, likely giving light to a stairwell.
November 12, 2025 at 2:24 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
Sorry, these are even better. 4906-14 W. Iowa, 1915 (Harlev & Aga architects)
bsky.app/profile/ever...
Street View of four two-flats in different shades of red brick. Large entry porches/second-floor balcony on left, pushing way out beyond bay on right. Cornices, parapets and sections above second-floor windows a riot of dichromatic brickwork, cream on red, variously, a snake-like symmetrical series of right angles, boxes with cream brick filling, dash-filled corbels, and what appears to be Torah scrolls. Mildly crenelated parapets also varied: stepped, pedimented, triangular and semicircle.
November 10, 2025 at 2:39 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
🙂While confirming the completion date (final date on permit was 1937 but work seemed done in 1929), I learned this building hosted boxing matches!
Scan from Chicago Tribune 3/2/1931. Under Fight Cards listing, one for Summerdale Arena, 2519 Devon avenue. Lists fights, including Sticks O'Connor v. Dan McGann and Edgerson Fountain v. Larry Campbell.
November 10, 2025 at 3:29 AM
tudoraf.bsky.social
Virulently opposed to November snow except for scenes like this
Night photo of a corner two-story 1920s store building, clad on the second floor and parapet in white terra cotta, above a ground floor with a facade of what look like black shiny blocks. Lights illuminate terra cotta pilasters, lintels, cornice, and tips of parapet. Sign says Bar-B-Q TONIGHT. There are snow flurries and snow visible on surfaces.
November 10, 2025 at 2:42 AM
tudoraf.bsky.social
@everylotchicago.bsky.social so dang good on the 900 block of N. Lavergne, had to look these 2-flats up. 906-48 N. Lavergne, 1914-16 (Ernest N. Braucher, architect)
Street View of row of at least a dozen red brick two-flats, bay on left, porch on right. Cornices and parapets decorated w/ courses and blocks of cream brick and limestone. Parapets feature elaborate crenelation, including triangles and stacked rectangles and squares. Scan of old fire insurance map, showing overhead view of row of 15 two-story pink (brick) buildings along a north-south street, each marked "D" (dwelling). Mostly rectangular with some protuberances on each building's right side, for bay and front porch. Each building has a yellow (wood) porch area in the back. Some front porches are yellow, other pink. Big ol' compass rose in street.
November 9, 2025 at 5:40 AM
tudoraf.bsky.social
Summer imminently over in Lincolnwood
Color photo of same Dairy Star sign in OP during day time. This time sign says LAST DAY TODAY!
November 7, 2025 at 7:32 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
I don't use the phrase "hardcore whimsy" lightly
Color photo of front facade of a small industrial building in red brick, edge of a clay tile roof visible on top. No windows, only a door with a basic surround. All sorts of brickwork going on! Three rows of raised bricks along bottom part, slim would-be quoins at corners above. In blind arch above front door symmetrical pattern of tiles/bricks converging. But real fun is under the deep eaves, with little brick-colored tiles forming flower-like discs and diamonds, some on brick, some on stucco fields. Color photo of industrial building in OP, showing side facade and tower toward back. Same delightful patterns under eaves. Three tall windows protected by grates. Red clay tile roof above copper gutters/eaves. In the rear a small tower, in same style with circular window.
November 7, 2025 at 2:19 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
The unfuckablewith fascia, and some midcentury tile, from 6435 N. California, built as the Northtown branch of CPL, ca. 1962 (Paul Gerhardt Jr., architect). Currently houses a refugee aid organization.
Color photo of a long one-story institutional building in red brick, with sections of tall windows and entrance in center. Roof mostly flat but rising to a triangle in center. Roof fascia metal and quite substantial. It's fall and trees in front have a few yellow leaves. Color photo of a wall of small rectangular tiles, mostly white with variable brown mottling, also solid orange, gray, and black.
November 6, 2025 at 1:50 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
It must feel really good for the building to get re-stuccoed like this.
Color photo of front of two-story single family home with a refreshed white stucco facade. Roof and small porch roof in red tiles. Windows to each side of front door have lunettes with tiles in diamond shapes. Three paired casement windows on second floor. A tree obscures a bit of the left side of the home.
November 4, 2025 at 2:56 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
There are a surprising number of similar terra cotta mixed-use buildings from the 1920s still around. Of course many since demolished. Here is a spandrel lion!
Color photo of a window spandrel in green terra cotta: alion's head surrounded by stylized swirls, with swirls coming out of its mouth.
November 3, 2025 at 5:32 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
Was there in the morning! I've never seen so many deer and so many with antlers.
Photo of a deer with a nice amount of antlers in the fall woods.
November 3, 2025 at 2:10 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
Respect. Here's one in yellow on Roosevelt Rd. I would be very grateful if someone could explain what shade of yellow is buff brick. (If this is a Wizard of Oz reference, also: Respect.)
Color photo of a 2-story store/apartment building with yellow face brick on second floor and red cladding on first floor. Roof is faux mansard with green clay roof tiles.
November 3, 2025 at 5:01 AM
tudoraf.bsky.social
"Yeah boss, mirrored emaciated slack-jawed dogs surrounded by Gothic foliage, just like you asked for."
Color photo of a symmetrical relief under an arch above an entrance. The heads of two creatures resembling emaciated dogs stare at one another nose-to-nose. Their mouths are open but they seem more befuddled than hostile. Around them is Gothic foliage.
November 3, 2025 at 4:47 AM
tudoraf.bsky.social
Summer tentatively over in Lincolnwood
Color photo of a lightbox sign for Dairy Star, with image of a vanilla soft serve cone. Updatable sign below reads: LAST DAY TODAY?
November 3, 2025 at 2:21 AM
tudoraf.bsky.social
On way back home, spotted some of my favorite brick around
Midcentury Chicago Georgian single family home in beautifully variegated orange and red brick. Close-up of brick on home from first pic, shades of orange and green with many bricks having both colors. Bricks patterned with many small gouges.
November 3, 2025 at 12:04 AM
tudoraf.bsky.social
Also, don't want to brag but saw Moby Dick on California Ave.
Color photo of a fairly banged-up white Chevrolet coupé utility/pickup.
November 2, 2025 at 11:41 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
I biked around Budlong Woods and Albany Park, stopping almost constantly to admire.
Color photo of a wide sidewalk leading to steps up to a sprawling classic Chicago Park District fieldhouse. Trees overhanging walk have leaves in autumnal shades of yellow and orange, many of which have fallen onto the ground. Color photo of the top floor, cornice and parapet of a red brick building. Under the cornice, a repeating pattern: a Z in gray brick, then a square panel featuring an unadorned circle, then a backward Z (or stylized S) again in gray brick. Color photo of a castle-looking 2-flat in red brick, with prominent polygonal bay, recessed entrance on left. Four buttresses around bay lead to tall columns (twisty but frankly could be twistier) on second floor. Little mansard roof between merlons on parapet. Basement window has its own arch. Color photo of a glorious Neoclassical mixed-use corner building clad in cream terra cotta. Window spandrels and lunettes feature green terra cotta in elaborate patterns. Curved section at the corner. Balustrade runs along the top of the whole. Newer sign at corner business reads CHICA'S.
November 2, 2025 at 11:37 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
Me and a nerd friend conversating about spandrels
Color photo of the top part of the first floor window of a 1920s apartment building, behind a gate. White terra cotta window surround includes gentle arch above window and hood mould ending in label spots decorated with the heads of smiling jesters.
November 1, 2025 at 10:10 PM
tudoraf.bsky.social
Color photo of the top floor of a two-flat at night. Through a large window, a skeleton with bright orange eyes. Gesture suggests bafflement. A ceiling fan looms behind, making it appear the skeleton has insect-like wings.
November 1, 2025 at 12:46 AM
tudoraf.bsky.social
Scary building faces for the holiday 💀
Color photo of a two-story greystone building with a raised entrance. Two eye-like semicircle windows stare out, past a veil of ivy, from second floor under a triangular parapet gable. The building is warning you: STAY AWAY. Color photo of the raised entrance to an apartment building in tan and mottled gray bricks. Front door has semicircle top, surrounded by compound arch, each layer a row of bricks, looking like a maw. To each side a large window in a rectangular shape but with curves along the long side. The overall effect is a blank face staring into your soul.
October 31, 2025 at 1:26 PM