Antique Mortar Mix

Feldspar and Quartz:

Red Glazed Brick & Mortar

This is my first spotting of the elusive red glazed brick. It's has a deep berry color. We've all seen stained rose color mortar (right?) but this is a red mortar. It was a very exciting morning.

The bottom row of these glazed bricks shows the surface has popped off. What's beneath was fired differently and will crumble quickly.

I'm back.

I was working.
I worked every single day last year while attending to volunteer business and didn't have much time for brick spotting. I smacked down a lot of debt, did some work on my building, and didn't go on vacation.

My business took me on some long drives on wide highways. I still won't call them interstates. I marveled at expanses of sky while traveling on highway 44. I avoid 40 because it's disorienting. The remodel with its extensive sound barriers is like driving through a courtyard.

Here's a building I encountered on Morgan Ford. The green bricks are spooky and the finish is stucco-ish. Check out the green patina on the original copper gutter and how it matches the green bricks. The original downspout matches and I'm betting that was deliberate.



Gorgeous palette:

Brick with Black Holes - Pop Quiz

How is it these bricks have black holes?

Check out the original mortar with its flecks of quartz and feldspar. It's almost 100 years old and remains perfect.

Diamond Brick

I spotted these outrageous 'diamond' bricks on a house in Holly Hills. I've seen them on two different houses in TGS as detailing but this home is a tribute to the rarely seen bricks.
They're rose in color and have matching stained mortar.

Kingshighway Hills (North Hampton)

Bark bricks: 52-5300 block of Lindenwood.




A detail that always delights me is how the mortar was pushed into the crevice of each brick...and the astonishing palette.

Crazy maze bricks:

Brick Pyramid

Found on a walk through the alley.


Scattered pyramids

Bogus Brick

Last week Bad Tim and I were working at Marti's garden which is across from the former International Trucking building (above and below). We walked across the street to take a look at the brick course popping and discovered it's brick veneer. It's not even an inch thick. Bogus!

I keep forgetting to send this in to CSB.
It's an exceptional building and would make great condos.

True Grit Brick

Sand was used to line the mold of these bricks and they are sublime. The color in each brick includes sepia, russet, spinach and crimson.
Click on the photos to enlarge.



Original mortar that looks as if it were pushed into place (by finger) to accommodate the little cervices in each brick. I find this immensely endearing.

PRM & MOO BRICK 2 emails within 48 hours

Within the last 48 hours I've received two email from different parts of the country about the PRM &MOO NO. 1 BRICK. One came from Wisconsin, the other is from (I'm assuming) New Orleans. Does anyone here have info to share with Scott and Nick?

Salamander Brickworks, abandoned gold mine, Black Hills, SD

Menomonee river, Milwaukee

Boiler, abandoned gold mine, Black hills, SD

Boiler

The brick photos above are by Scott. I love the photo of the brick under clear water. I may like seeing clear water best.

The first is an email exchange with Scott with a funny subject line: I have a brick to show you

Hi,
I stumbled across your blog while trying to identify a brick, it helped a lot. This brick was found in the Menomonee river in Milwaukee - right next to Miller Park baseball stadium. What are now the huge parking lots to the East of stadium used to be the Milwaukee Railroad yards. I sometimes go fishing for steelhead in the fall in this river and found this brick in a few inches of water. I left it there but when I returned the next time, I couldn't find it. I attached a photo, it's actually a nice one. I have another cream, half brick that says prm&m No. 1. I think I found it in the river too. I also attached a photo of a brick I found at an abandoned mine site in the Black Hills of SD. It is from the Salamander Fire Brick company in NJ. I'm sure it was used to surround the boiler that they used to run the machines. Please tell me the age of my river brick - if you know.

Hi Scott,
WOW, fabulous photos! May I post them on my post along with your email?

I don't know the age of your bricks, I am guessing early 19th century and that they were use as pavers. Some people who read my blog may have an answer and respond. I am only an amateur. People collect bricks. I encourage you to grab them and sell them on Ebay; they will go to caring collections. I've bought bricks on ebay and others do also.

What is that construction in the first photo, it looks like it was used for fire and mining for what?

Sure you can post it, I'd be honored. The fire bricks were used to concentrate the heat around the boiler, I think they just had a fire under it in the open space. You have bricks, I have abandoned mines in the Black Hills.

Mine entrance?

Old Mill Building


This second email included the photo below.

I saw a brick on your blog, and it says "PRM & MOO NO. 1 BRICK". On new years day I went on a tour of a plantation in New Orleans Lousiana, and went into an old slave quarters. The brick around the fire place was the PRM & M CO type as well, but these say Bullhead. I think the No. 1 is actually N.O. L as in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the brick is PRM & M Co. See the attached picture of the bricks on the fire place.

Originally I took a picture of the brick so that I could do some research on the brick company in order to find out if the domicile was authentic. I haven't found any info on the company. If you know anything about it, let me know.

Thanks,
Nick

Top Brick Picks of 2008

Last week I received two emails asking why I haven't been posting.
Winter is when I get my work on and 10 hours a day online is enough.

So here's my top picks of brick for the year and hey, I'll be back on the hunt in early January.

Best of show:



Multi color sand finish

Brain brick

Sand finish brick

Blistering brick with black mortar

Best palette

Wire cut brick in diaper bond

The elusive accordion brick

Honorable Mention for unique color and tidy mortar.

Wire cut brick in situ

Earth Tones

Dreamy mortar with flecks of quartz and white and cream feldspar.

Every single brick presents with an astonishing range of colors:

Mottled ruffled face bricks freckled with round black iron spots.
I want an interior wall of this brick.