This exhibition of photographs taken by James Alexander 1984-1985 represents the work Alexander undertook researching the use of terra cotta as an architectural element during the industrial boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Spurred on by the rebuilding activities in Chicago after the great fire of 1871 and aligning with the founding of Birmingham in the same year, the architectural use of terra cotta defined the urban aesthetic of the time.

Drawn by the booming economy of the “Magic City” many of the prominent architects working in Chicago and New York left their imprint on the rising skyscrapers of the young city of Birmingham and influenced Birmingham architects in their wake. It is good fortune that so many fine examples of this unique architectural style survive in Birmingham and are now being renovated for a 21st century renaissance of the Magic City.