Carl Street Studios

The Carl Street Studios complex began its life as a single family three story mansion built during the 1880s, and was, during part of these early years, reputedly owned by a mayor of the city of Chicago.

During the 1910s and 1920s the socio-economic status of the surrounding area changed, with German, Bohemian and eastern European immigrants constituting the primary ethnic makeup of the new resident pool.

In 1927, Kogen purchased the mansion at 155 West Carl Street, which stood on two city lots, and asked Miller to help convert the structure into an aesthetically enticing, modern studio complex for emerging artists.

To help build the complex, Kogen and Miller recruited some of their former colleagues from the Art Institute and other like-minded emerging Chicago artists, including John W. Norton, Edgar Britton, Edward Millman, Stewart Rae and a highly talented and versatile Mexican immigrant, Jesus Torres.

One of the most distinctive features of the apartments is the extensive and highly innovative use of a myriad of colored marbles, terrazzo, and Rookwood, Teco, Grueby and Batchelder tiles on all manner of surfaces.

Decorative copper, iron and steel work abound, and creative lighting (for the time) added allure and intrigue to the studios.

The exterior door of each unit enjoys its own distinctive personality (many with intricate hand carved elements by Edgar Miller and Jesus Torres), and contributes to the asymmetrical flavor of the building.

After work on the studios in the mansion was completed, the artists erected additional four-story buildings lining the periphery of the property that essentially created the enveloped east courtyard that you see today.

Committed to the artistic gestalt of the complex, Miller and his crew of artists at an early date replaced the sidewalk in front of the building with a dramatic walkway of colorful and diverse tiles and marbles which informs the visitor or casual passerby that Carl Street Studios is a unique phenomenon to Chicago, and also gives a glimpse of what mysteries lie behind the front wall of the complex.

In 1985, Sol's daughter sold the building to a Chicago entrepreneur, who located Edgar Miller in California and invited the artist back to the complex to continue work.

From this time until the early 1990s, Edgar Miller lived in the complex and executed stained glass work, murals, and other art pieces for the building.

The midlevel and roof gardens have also existed from an early date and have provided residents with a forum for warm summer evening get-togethers and dinners.

During the early years, Sol Kogen and Edgar Miller presented public art exhibitions within the complex, displaying the works of some of Chicago's better known modern and avant-garde artists.