1899-1904

Staircase Baluster

This baluster, one of a set, was created as part of the highly ornamented design for the Schlesinger and Mayer (now Carson, Pirie, Scott) department store in Chicago. The first department stores in the United States opened in the 1860s and their success brought intense competition, reflected in the extravagant buildings designed to house them. Architect Louis H. Sullivan designed the Schlesinger and Mayer store, which was particularly ornate and modern. Although much of the ornament was executed by George Elmslie, one of the Sullivan firm's designers, it adhered to Sullivan's sinuous, Art Nouveau style.