Antique Interior Photograph of Grand Hall or Lodge | AS IS

Here we have a rare original exhibition poster for Exquisite Corpse, a group show at the Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago. Artists Donley, Ferstman, Harris, Martin, and Reynolds. Opening night January 10th, 8–10pm, running through February 15th. No year printed on the poster, but everything about it. The typography, the searing high-contrast photography, the energy…all of it screams late 1960s Chicago art scene. The design is by E H Smith, credited in small type at the bottom corner. Whoever E H Smith was, they knocked it out of the park. The image is a collage grid of cropped, blown-out faces — fragmented, overlapping, intense. It looks like the Surrealist parlor game it’s named after come to life in a printing press. Part protest art. Part punk before punk. Entirely its own thing. The Hyde Park Art Center at 5236 South Blackstone was a legendary incubator for Chicago artists. This is a piece of that wild world. The poster measures approximately 17” wide by 22” tall. It is in excellent vintage condition. Clean, bright, flat. No pinholes. The reverse is Here we have a grand and moody large format antique photograph of what appears to be the entrance hall of a serious Chicago mansion or institution. And I mean serious. A sweeping dark wood staircase dominates the right side of the frame, anchored by an ornate wrought iron newel post with a polished globe finial. A tall case clock stands at attention on the landing like it owns the place. Presiding over all of it from high on the wall is a massive mounted elk head with an absolutely spectacular rack of antlers. This elk is not messing around. But let’s talk about that pillow on the leather bench for a second, because it deserves its own moment. Embroidered or printed on the cushion is what appears to be a portrait of a Native American chief in full headdress. This is not a throwaway decorative detail. These types of souvenir or commemorative pillows depicting Native American chiefs were produced in limited quantities in the late 19th century, often sold at expositions, fairs, or tourist destinations, and were considered prized decorative objects in wealthy households of the era. The fact that it’s prominently placed on a bench in the entrance hall — the first thing a visitor would see upon entering — tells you the owner considered it a conversation piece worth showing off. It’s the kind of object that today would be its own separate listing. A chief in full regalia, rendered on silk or satin, propped up in a Chicago mansion next to a mounted elk head like it’s the most natural thing in the world. In 1890, apparently, it was. Rounding out the scene: a daybed with a pillow to the left, a framed picture on the wall, and a decorative arched Gothic window letting in the light. A hanging gas chandelier and ornate plaster ceiling molding tell you whoever lived or worked here had taste and the budget to back it up. I can’t tell you exactly where in Chicago this was taken, but the inscription along the bottom edge of the mount has some legible handwriting that might get you there with a little digging. The mystery endures. The photograph itself is an albumen or gelatin silver print mounted on a dark charcoal gray card stock. The antique photograph measures 10” wide by 8” tall. Quality is sharp with excellent detail throughout. The mount has general age toning, staining, and wear, as expected. One corner of the mount has a small chip. Please see all pics as they are part of the description. I ship FedEx to street addresses in the continental USA only (no PO Boxes). Free shipping on the rare Chicago interior photograph. Who lived here? Who was that elk? Where did they shop? So many questions. with the Hyde Park Art Center address. This one was stored well. Please see all pics as they are part of the description. I ship posters USPS to street addresses only (no PO boxes). The poster will be shipped rolled in a tube. Free shipping. Chicago art. Hyde Park grit. Five artists. One h*ll of a poster.