The night belonged to architect Louis Sullivan. Even though he's been gone since 1924, Chicago historian Tim Samuelson brought him back to life on January 25 at a dinner at The Cliff Dwellers Club--a club, Samuelson explained, whose members were kind, considerate and generous toward Sullivan during his "last days," when his commissions dried up and he'd hit hard times. Among those charitable members was Frank Lloyd Wright, who had worked for Sullivan early in his career. Even though the two had tension and disagreements through the years, according to Samuelson.

Members of the Cliff, as well as Friends of Downtown contributed to a standing room only crowd to hear about the work Sullivan did at the end of his career.

Although Sullivan's later life was marred with sadness, loneliness and diminished resources, Samuelson explained that Sullivan did small but significant projects. One such example? The two-story Kraus Music Store on North Lincoln Avenue. While the Carson Pirie Scott building on State Street (now Target) and Adler & Sullivan's Auditorium Theater with may be the buildings that everyone knows and comes to Chicago to see, the work Sullivan did as his life came to an end also stands the test of time.