Old Bridge Library

Antique Book Patterns From Bergen Public Library

Fun project from Bergen Public Library!

A Beautiful collection of antique book patterns from front or end papers. Spanning from 1890-1930.

Artist Buys Run-Down Chicago Bank for $1 and Transforms It Into Arts Center

Three years ago, Chicago bank Stony Island Savings & Loan was nearly a century old and had been completely untouched since the 1980s. The roof had caved in and weather took hold of the crumbled infrastructure. To most, it may have seemed best to tear the once-beautiful building down, but Chicago artist Theaster Gates Jr. had other plans.

Gates purchased the derelict building for a single dollar from the city of Chicago in 2012 and got to work. He managed to raise considerable funds to help restore the bank through a number of initiatives, including salvaging marble from the bank and selling it in rectangular pieces called “bank bonds” at Art Basel. After intensive renovations, the 17,000 square foot building opened to the public on October 6.