Alice Jacobsen

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Alice "Zani" Jacobsen
Woman wearing glasses and a paint-stained apron standing in front of detailed miniature architectural models of ornate buildings
Alice "Zani" Jacobsen
Born
Alice Jacobsen

1928 (1928)
DiedSeptember 4, 1993(1993-09-04) (aged 64–65)
EducationSchool of the Art Institute of Chicago
Known forSculpting plaster reliefs of Chicago architecture built in the middle to late 1800s and early 1900s
Notable workChicago Water Tower, Comiskey Park, Riverview Amusement Park
SpouseAlbert "Nix" Jacobsen

Alice "Zani" Jacobsen (1928–1993) was an American postwar and contemporary sculptor who resided on the North Side of Chicago.[1] She is known for her plaster sculptural reliefs of buildings, structures, and famous landmarks that she felt "'represent an important Chicago style' or demonstrate an innovative solution to technical construction problems."[2]

Early life and education

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Jacobsen was a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).[3]

Career

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Subjects and style

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Her subjects include local taverns, popular theaters,[4] neighborhood fire stations, and private homes that were built in the middle to late 1800s and early 1900s and represent Victorian architecture.[5] She depicted extant buildings in Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Wicker Park, Old Town Triangle, the Gold Coast, Prairie Avenue, Pilsen, Kenwood, Hyde Park, and Pullman neighborhoods. Some of her more popular subjects include the Chicago Water Tower, Riverview Amusement Park, and Comiskey Park.[6]

Design process

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Black-and-white images of miniature ornate buildings, each displayed individually and labeled with a number beneath.
Alice "Zani" Jacobsen plaster reliefs

Jacobsen's design process started with her and her husband driving the streets of Chicago in search of potential subjects. They navigated their way through the city by using a grid map that distinguished the boundaries of the then 176 neighborhoods of Chicago. When she found a potential subject, she would photograph it in detail before using the photos as a reference to recreate an authentic scaled down version. Before starting any work, Jacobsen would thoroughly research each subject, including building styles and materials popular during that era. Her biggest source of information for this was The Chicago Historical Society, neighborhood groups, and local nostalgia enthusiasts.[2]

When she began a new piece she sculpted a "master" or original model by using a wax-based clay. This was a tedious process; Zani frequently had to fill in visual blanks as subjects were often missing some of their original details due to theft and decay. In these instances she relied on structural advice from her husband, a carpenter, and on historical photographs of the neighborhood, utilizing information on similarly styled buildings to reconstruct the missing pieces. After completing the original model, she would create a latex mold to cast a limited edition run of models (often 10 to 40 castings).[1] Zani used a gypsum cement to obtain an accurate reproduction, hand painting each piece in typical colors of the building materials used. After creating a limited number of copies she would destroy the mold.[7][6]

Sales

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Jacobsen's pieces were sold at Chicago's Gold Coast Art Fest and from her studio at 5005 W. Fullerton Ave. in Chicago.[2]

Notable works

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Jacobsen sculpted the Belmont Theater,[8] the Avalon Theater,[4] and the Schootz Tied House.[9]

Jacobsen's recreation of the Old Paradise and Chicago Theaters were featured in an exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.[10]

Professional affiliations

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She was a member of the Theatre Historical Society.[11]

Personal life and death

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Alice "Zani" Jacobsen, 65, died September 4, 1993, of cancer at her home in Chicago. Survivors include her husband, Albert "Nix" Jacobsen; and two sisters.[10]

Archives

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The Chicago Public Library holds an archive of her artist files under the name "Zani Jacobsen".[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Old Chicago gets plastered". Chicago Tribune. August 9, 1975. p. 197. ISSN 1085-6706. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Artist's Love of Architecture Has City's Looks Standing Out In". Chicago Tribune. August 3, 1986. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  3. ^ "Entr'acte". The Wheeling Herald. September 14, 1973. p. 11. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Richard Sklenar holds a Zani Jacobsen sculpture". Chicago Tribune. November 1, 1998. p. 231. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  5. ^ "Zani Jacobsen Preserves Chicago History". American Breweriana Journal (43): 28. March 1990.
  6. ^ a b Jacobsen, Alice. Zani - Old Chicago Reliefs. Alice Jacobsen.
  7. ^ "Models Keep Classic Architecture Alive". American Breweriana Journal: 29. March–April 1990.
  8. ^ "Lot Detail - Jacobsen, Zani (American, 20th century). Belmont Theatre". Potter Auctions.
  9. ^ Haydock, Herbert A.; Haydock, Helen I. (February 11, 2003). Beer Advertising Memorabilia. Turner Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-56311-881-4 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ a b "Alice 'Zani' Jacobsen". Chicago Tribune. September 6, 1993. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  11. ^ "Marquee: The Journal of the Theatre Historical Society". The Society. February 11, 1993 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ "Chicago Artist Files, I-K". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
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  • Media related to Alice Jacobsen at Wikimedia Commons