Discoveries in the Old North State
The 100-Mesker club has a new member— North Carolina. Historically, North Carolinians purchased a not insignificant amount of Mesker products, ranking 14th nationwide with a combined estimate of approximately 1,100 facades. Fronts supplied by Mesker Brothers Iron Works netted a total of $96,977.93 in receipts between 1885 and 1908 for approximately 608 facades. Mesker’s best … Continue reading
Embossed scroll G
Many of the ornament motifs that were used by Mesker Brothers Iron Works for their metal facades are very distinctive, instantly betraying their maker without the need of any other identifying marks. Others are less obviously original and more typical of the era and work of other manufacturers. However, no matter how common they may … Continue reading
100+ Meskers found in New Mexico
When we document 100 Mesker facades in a state, we celebrate it. It’s an arbitrary milestone that has little to do with the historic number of installations but it’s been a tradition on these here pages for some time. Thanks largely to Roger Waguespack’s research efforts, New Mexico is the latest state to join the … Continue reading
Dear Sir:
The immense catalog printing and distribution of the Mesker companies and especially of Mesker Brothers Iron Works is well recognized as a linchpin of their success. But what other marketing was used? How did they know who to send the catalogs to? Who and where was their competition? Were their prices competitive? A recent eBay … Continue reading
Vanished in Cairo
The Famous Building on the 700 block of Commercial Avenue in Cairo, Illinois, had a spectacular presence almost entirely due to the galvanized sheet-metal front made by the Mesker Brothers Iron Works of St. Louis, Missouri. It’s combination of motifs and arched window openings made it one of few truly distinctive Mesker fronts across the … Continue reading
Like father, like sons
Every legacy has its origins and the four Mesker brothers and their respective companies owe their genesis to a certain John Bernard Mesker (1823–1899). John Bernard Mesker was born in Germany on February 22, 1823, and came to America in 1835. Settling in Cincinnati, John trained as a “tinner,” a craftsman who worked with tinplate, … Continue reading
Roswell’s distinguished Mesker buildings
The following is a revised version of an article by Roger Waguespack, published on November 6, 2016 by RDR (Roswell Daily Record) Online. All images are reproduced with the permission of the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico. Read the original article here. In the late 1800s and early 1900s many commercial buildings in towns … Continue reading
Chicago’s first condo tower
Just last year, I dubbed the Tower Building in Little Rock, Arkansas as “the tallest and most modern Mesker front ever constructed.” Neither claim is no longer true. Thanks to a rather obscure online search, I recently came across a reference to a building at 339 West Barry Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, whose curtain wall … Continue reading
Pattern of influence
In the past we’ve been able to determine, or at the very least speculate about, the origins of some of the Mesker Brothers motifs including the fish panels, sea shells, and clusters of columns, largely because of the evidence for such inspiration left behind by Bernard Mesker. What follows is an origins story about a … Continue reading
Awning, canopy, marquise
For two centuries, American commercial storefronts often required various shading devices for natural climate control, protection of show window displays and shoppers, and enhancement of building appearance. By far the most popular of these were fabric awnings, but metal was also an available option although not widely acknowledged in contemporary scholarly documentation. Both Mesker companies … Continue reading
