An Original Chicago Stadium Blueprint Architectural Drawing. C. 1928.
THE HOUSE THAT PADDY BUILT.
Original architectural blueprint on wove paper of the Chicago Stadium as designed by the architecture firm Hall, Lawrence, & Ratcliffe, Inc. (light wear at extremities, closed tears, pinholes). Sheet 42.5 x 53 in.
The Chicago Stadium was built by local sports promoter Paddy Harmon in 1928, famously costing him his entire fortune. The largest indoor arena at the time and the first in the United States to feature an air conditioning system, the construction of the Chicago Stadium cost nearly $200 million (adjusted for inflation) and faced numerous acts of attempted sabotage, including a fire on the roof started by disgruntled workmen. The Stadium officially opened its doors on March 28, 1929, with its first event a boxing match between Tommy Loughran and Mickey Walker. Due to difficulty in securing the Chicago Blackhawks as a tenant for the new stadium, Harmon was forced out of his position as president shortly after the Stadium opened. A little over a year later Harmon would die in an automobile accident; his memorial was held inside of the Stadium and a boxing match staged to benefit his widow and children.
Despite a rocky start the Chicago Stadium slowly but surely gained a following as an all-purpose arena, cementing its status as a Chicago landmark. The Stadium saw the Blackhawks win six Stanley Cup titles within its walls, as well as the first NFL playoff game (held in 1932, which saw the Chicago Bears defeat the Portsmouth Spartans 9-0), various political conventions and rallies, and concerts by some of the most acclaimed acts of the 20th century including Led Zeppelin, the Beach Boys, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Presley.
Yet it is the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan to whom the Chicago Stadium will always be closely associated. On October 26, 1984, Jordan made his NBA debut in a faceoff against the Washington Bullets. Despite having become a tenant in 1967, it wasn't until 1991 that the Bulls won their first championship, a feat they would repeat again the following year and the year after that. The following year, with the Stadium now slated for demolition in order to make way for the more modern United Center, Scottie Pippen hosted the Ameritech Classic charity game. Despite Jordan having retired the previous year he made a triumphant return to the court for this final event, scoring 52 points on his own and leading the White team to a 187-150 victory over Pippen's Red team. In the perfect tribute to the Chicago Stadium and its long and glorious history, Jordan at the end of the game kneeled and kissed the Bulls logo at the center of the court. A year later the Stadium would exist only in photographs and the memories of the hundreds of thousands of fans who attended events there, ensuring that Chicago would always "Remember the Roar." SCARCE.
This lot is located in Chicago.
