Louis Sullivan is considered the father of the skyscraper; using steel frames to hold up large and elaborate structures. He partnered with Dankmar Adler in Chicago for more than a decade but this 1894-96 Buffalo building was their last collaboration. Sullivan’s famous quote that “form follows function” is known by every designer, modern or traditional. Sullivan’s personality and aesthetic demands did not sit well with most of the power men of his day and he died in obscurity in 1924. One of his many legacies was a young architect named Frank Lloyd Wright who remained a lifelong supporter and acolyte. The Guaranty Building in Buffalo was for many decades an address of distinction but in the mid-20th Century it was facing almost certain demolition. Today it has been restored and returned to its place of honor in American architecture. The knobs and plates offered in this lot feature the signature deigns of complex floral and geometric patterns that Sullivan used in many of his projects. Drawing of this hardware, supposedly by Sullivan himself, have survived. Exact details and execution of these intricate images were also strongly influenced by George Elmslie and the sculptor Christian Schneider. The door plates measure 14” x 4”. The knobs are passage size. Note that the name of the building is prominent at the top of the plate. Everything is guaranteed authentic and in excellent condition.