From 1880 to 1895, Louis Sullivan and his partner, Dankmar Adler, headed one of the country’s most creative and successful architectural practices. Known for their expertise in theatre design, they designed the Auditorium Building, which included not only a magnificent theater but a hotel and office block as well. While they didn’t invent the tall building, Sullivan was among the first to find a way to celebrate its height. Sadly, after the partnership dissolved in 1895, Sullivan found it increasingly difficult to get commissions without his more diplomatic partner, but he stubbornly maintained his artistic principles until his death in 1924. Using both historic and new images, Patrick Cannon explores Sullivan’s life and work. Photographer James Caulfield also answers questions about his photographs for Cannon’s book, Louis Sullivan: Creating a New American Architecture.

Recorded Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at the Chicago Architecture Foundation.