firm active: 1907-1921 minneapolis, minnesota :: chicago, illinois philadelphia, pennsylvania :: portland, oregon

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Terra-cotta

Most larger Purcell and Elmslie buildings, including both residences and commercial structures, contained some terra-cotta detailing.  This page is designed to provide an index to those jobs where documentation is available for such terra-cotta elements.  There may be, and probably are, more images on pages for the individual projects than the thumbnail shown here.  George Grant Elmslie was always the father of such delicious "efflorescence."  Purcell reported that Elmslie produced the drawings freehand, which were then sent to the American Terra Cotta and Ceramic Company for modeling in clay, which in earlier years meant usually under the inimitable hands of sculptor Kristian Schneider.

Edward L. Powers residence Minneapolis, Minnesota	Farmers and Merchants State Bank Hector, Minnesota   1916	Woodbury County Court House William L. Steele, architect Purcell and Elmslie, associated architects Sioux City, Iowa  1915/1916
First National Bank Adams, Minnesota

 

 

 

Pre-P&E Designs by Elmslie

Fragment from building frieze
1905