Designed by
Edbrooke & Burnham, American, 1879 - 1892
Edbrooke, Willoughby J., American, 1843 - 1896
Franklin P. Burnham, American, 1853 - 1909
Date
1891-1892
Medium
cast iron
Dimensions
H x W x D (2015.207a): 51 3/16 × 8 11/16 × 3 15/16 in. (130 × 22 × 10 cm)
H x W x D (2015.207b): 30 3/8 × 43 11/16 × 7 7/8 in. (77.2 × 111 × 20 cm)
H x W x D (2015.207c): 53 1/8 × 8 11/16 × 3 15/16 in. (135 × 22 × 10 cm)
H x W x D (2015.207d): 30 5/16 × 42 1/2 × 9/16 in. (77 × 108 × 1.5 cm)
H x W x D (2015.207e): 54 1/2 × 8 7/16 × 5 1/2 in. (138.5 × 21.4 × 14 cm)
H x W x D (2015.207f): 30 5/16 × 42 1/2 × 9/16 in. (77 × 108 × 1.5 cm)
H x W x D (2015.207g): 50 3/8 × 8 1/4 × 6 5/16 in. (128 × 21 × 16 cm)
H x W x D (2015.207h): 30 1/2 × 42 1/2 × 1/2 in. (77.4 × 108 × 1.2 cm)
H x W x D (2015.207i): 51 3/16 × 8 1/4 × 6 5/16 in. (130 × 21 × 16 cm)
H x W x D (j): 30 5/16 × 43 11/16 × 7 7/8 in. (77 × 111 × 20 cm)
H x W x D (2015.207k): 53 1/8 × 5 13/16 × 6 1/4 in. (135 × 14.8 × 15.8 cm)
Caption
This ornately-detailed iron railing was used along the open corridors surrounding the interior courts of the Mecca Flats Apartment building in Chicago. Located near the entertainment strip of State Street known as "the Stroll," the apartments became a center of black life in the city during the post-Great Migration era. The building and its community inspired Jimmy Blythe to write the song "Mecca Flats Blues" in 1924 and Gwendolyn Brooks to write her long narrative poem "In the Mecca," in 1968.
Description
A portion off a cast iron balcony railing from the Mecca Flats Apartments in Chicago, Illinois. The railing was designed by Franklin Pierce Burnham. The railing is made up of six (6) stanchions and five (5) balusters. Most of the stanchions have decorative brackets, wedges and rail hooks. Several of the pieces are missing elements that have broken off. The balusters have a spiraling floral and vine design and have two bracket holes on either side. One of the balusters has a pronounced curve while the others are flat. The tops of the baluster pieces are curved upward on the left and right sides and have a decorative element at center. The bottoms are straight.
2015.207a: A white cast iron stanchion. The stanchion has a missing rail hook and bottom wedge.
2015.207b: A black cast iron baluster. The baluster’s left side is curved outward.
2015.207c: A black cast iron stanchion with no missing elements.
2015.207d: A black cast iron baluster with no missing elements.
2015.207e: A black cast iron stanchion with no missing elements.
2015.207f: A black cast iron baluster with no missing elements.
2015.207g: A black cast iron stanchion. The stanchion has a missing rail hook.
2015.207h: A black cast iron baluster with no missing elements.
2015.207i: A black cast iron stanchion. The stanchion has a missing rail hook.
2015.207j: A black cast iron baluster with no missing elements.
2015.207k: A black cast iron stanchion. The stanchion is missing two brackets.
Place collected
Bronzeville, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Buildings and Structures
Type
railings
Topic
Architecture
Black geographies
Building Arts
Communities
Design
Domestic life
Ornamentation
Urban life
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.207a-k
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd59ea573a0-94dd-4247-8de1-07eca74cb937

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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