The new exhibit has opened at The Ridge Historical Society: "Harry Hale Waterman, Architect: Unique in Any Style."
The exhibit is open to the public for free on Tuesdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Waterman was born in Wisconsin in 1869, and came to Chicago as a young boy. He attended the Old University of Chicago and Northwestern University, and started his architecture career in the late 1880s. He worked in the architecture offices of Joseph Lyman Silsbee alongside his family friend Frank Lloyd Wright.
While Wright concentrated on developing his own style of architecture, Waterman worked in many different styles, putting his unique spin on each.
Waterman designed an estimated forty buildings in Beverly and Morgan Park, most of which are still standing today. Other buildings he designed in other Chicago neighborhoods have not fared as well.
This exhibit explores Waterman's work on the Ridge, and also takes a loot at some of his clients.
On Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 4 p.m., RHS will offer a program connected to the exhibit: "Waterman: From the White City to the Ridge."
In the first part of this program, Exhibit Curator Tim Blackburn will focus on Waterman's influences on the Columbian Exposition and his first employer, Joseph Lyman Silsbee.
Mati Maldre will discuss his architectural photos of thirty Waterman buildings, which were mostly taken in the mid-1980s with a Deardorff 4×5/5×7 view camera.
RHS Facebook Page Author Carol Flynn will then share stories from the lives of Waterman's early clients on the Ridge who made interesting impressions on the community in their day. This will be continued as a series on Facebook to complement the RHS exhibit.
Stay tuned to this page for details on registering for the program.
RHS is located at 10621 S. Seeley Avenue, Chicago.