Comments from kburns2

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kburns2
kburns2 commented about Lerner Theatre on May 21, 2007 at 8:04 pm

I think strongly that there is only one firm and that the name is Karl Martin Vitzthum. I have letterhead with his signature dated May 16,1927. K M Vitzthum & Co. Inc., K M Vitzthum Architect. At that time their office address was 307 N Michigan, Chicago, IL.(aka the Bell Building, built by them in 1923 for Herbert E Bell) In the upper left corner: K M Vitzthum, President and John Joseph Burns, Vice-Pres & Treasurer. They were partners from about 1923 to 1956 when J J Burns died.
I also have a copy of the 1918 WWI draft registration in Chicago of Karl Martin Vitzthum with his signature again
It is unfortunate that somewhere along the line, the name was misspelled and has been repeated. I have seen it misspelled in a number of articles and will try to contact them all.
Aside from skyscrapers, they built banks, churches (see St Peter’s in downtown Chicago), theaters, court houses, jails, and commercial buildings. Also before becoming partners, they both worked for 15 to 20 odd years for Eames and Young of St Louis.

kburns2
kburns2 commented about Lerner Theatre on May 20, 2007 at 12:02 pm

I believe that you have misspelled the architects name for the Lerner Theatre in Elkart, In. You have the name as Vitchum, K. V and it should be VITZTHUM. My grandfather was John J Burns, who later was a partner to Karl Vitzthum in Chicago. I have lately been doing research of my own about my grandfather and I have been researching his partner at the same time, since he was more well known. J J Burns was a silent partner for years, when he died in 1956, Vitzthum continued with another partner named Kill.
Probably the best know building by Vitzthum and Burns is 1 North LaSalle, which also has landmark status. It was built in Chicago, in 1930. They also built the county courthouse in Sheboygan, WI .which is on the National Register.