Program
Louis Sullivan and His “Jewel Box” Banks
During the latter part of his career, Louis Sullivan designed eight “Jewel Box” banks, known for their modern facades and their lavishly ornamented interiors resembling jewel boxes. Join us for a midwestern virtual tour of these architectural masterpieces.
Today, five of the buildings are still used as financial institutions, while the others have been adapted and continue to be commercial structures. They are located throughout the Midwest in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio. Although Sullivan is credited with some of Chicago’s greatest buildings, including the Auditorium Building and the Sullivan Center, it was during the end of his career that he was instrumental in transforming the architecture of rural downtowns.
Presenter: Maurice Champagne
Maurice Champagne has been a CAC docent for 18 years and has helped create numerous CAC tours. The author of multiple articles for the docent community as well an e-book on the Field Museum, Champagne has also taught classes on Chicago architecture and history for the Newberry Library. Prior to his retirement, he taught English and computer science and was a technology consultant for two decades. Champagne holds degrees from DePaul University, Loyola University and Northwestern University.