two matching custom-designed downtown chicago city hall doorknobs with laurel wreath borders

early 20th century ornamental cast brass chicago city hall building doorknob designed and fabricated by the yale & towne mfg. co., stamford, ct. the office door handles contain deeply recessed or sunken centers surrounded by a highly detailed bayleaf border. since 1853, the governments of chicago and cook county have shared three different buildings on this site. the monumental, classical revival-style exterior of the present structure, which was designed to be a functional and efficient office building, symbolizes the strength, dignity, and vigor of the governmental functions it contains. the county building was completed in 1908; city hall was finished in 1911. the architectural firm was holabird and roche. yale & towne fabricated the hardware for the first phase of construction (i.e., cook county building). the sargent hardware company likely outfitted city hall by replicating and/or using the original molds from the earlier commission. measures approximately 2 1/4 inches in diameter. priced for the pair.