Grand Hall - Art and Architecture
Clearly, one of the objectives in this hall is to impress guests with its ten foot doors with etched glass inside; swan stained glass window in the foyer; encaustic tiles set in an intricate pattern; and twelve foot coffered ceilings. The hall is designed to echo the grand halls of English manors.
The woodwork here is white oak and it is fantastic. The woodwork was hand carved, like all of the woodwork throughout the house, by one man - William Van Stratum. He was 19 years old when he started and he did not finished until he was 22 years old. Hand carving was a feature of the Aesthetic Movement and specifically the “Arts and Craft style.” Both of these were a counterpoint to the over the top decoration of earlier Victorian designs (like Gothic Revival).
Wood-carvers were among the best paid craftsmen, as they were among the most skilled workers. Van Stratum was renowned for not only being a talented carver but also being the highest paid artisan at the time - earning one dollar a day. This may not seem like much but it made him upper middle class. He earned seven times what servants in the house earned who were only paid one dollar a week.
Another example the movements are the portieres hanging in the doorways which were hand-made from tobacco leaves.
The tiles in the Grand Hall are also imported from Minton Hollins. Each depicts a different play of William Shakespeare.
The stain glass doors are original to the house. They were made by the Chicago Glass Company using what was known as the "LaFarge" Method which produced bright colors and beautiful opalescent glass. LaFarge was a famous artist who worked in oils and glass. He was a contemporary, part time collaborator, and part time rival of Louis Tiffany.
The doors are also very functional. They offered cross ventilation and served as main doors for guests arriving from the river.
