1886 Safe

In 1886 the Northwestern Mutual company built a fantastic stone building on the corner of Wisconsin Ave. & Broadway. When it was built, 4 large safes were installed by Hall's Safe & Lock Company of Chicago & Cincinnati. While in the beginning the safes were in the portion of the building used as a bank, over the years there have been many businesses housed there--offices, an art gallery, clothing store, etc. It is now the Hilton Garden Inn, a deluxe downtown hotel. Luckily, through-out each renovation great care was taken to keep all of the wonderful elements from the original building--the absolutely gorgeous brass & copper stairways & the 14 story atrium to name just a couple things, & of course these safes. I've wanted to blip them ever since I first saw them, & we finally went back today. They are truly works of art! There are 4 of them, with this one being the most elaborate! Each of the safes feature a different picture of a scene from "out West" hand painted on the front, & there are additional decorative flourishes painted all over the door! The company's name & patent dates for the safe are there, & even the round gears on the front are all etched with a design! The craftsmanship of the time was unbelievable, & I'm so glad they've been preserved for all of us to see. :)