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Milwaukee’sCity Hall was the third tallest structure in America when it was finished in1895 and the recent four-year renovation restored the landmark to its luster. Milwaukee photographerEric Oxendorf documents the building in a solid collection of color photos,published as The Milwaukee City Hall: AnAmerican Architectural Masterpiece of the German Renaissance Style.
He displays the landmark from many perspectives,as a towering facet of the downtown skyline and in close-ups that revealdetails unobservable from street level, including a profusion of terra cottacornices and pediments decorated with heraldic shields and growling stone lionheads. Interior shots include the impressive wrought-iron railing along themezzanine and the Common Council chamber, perhaps the largest room of its kindin an American city hall.
Along with the Gas Company flame and theCalatrava wing of the Milwaukee Art Museum, City Hall isamong the distinctive architectural elements of our city. Oxendorf’s book is anenjoyable visual document giving a brief captioned history of the building.
