A Twist in History: Artwork keeps spirit of Haish mansion alive

From September 1978 through June 1981, W. Joseph Zack, a Northern Illinois University student, was working on his thesis for his Master of Fine Arts degree. His "one-man show" captured the likeness of many of DeKalb's most famous buildings, including the Egyptian Theatre, Ellwood mansion, and the Jacob Haish mansion.

According to his thesis, "the concentration of work for my one-man show dealt with the refinement of illustrations, rendered in ink, watercolor and airbrush, and the execution of museum quality architectural models. It was also my wish to develop strong competencies in the area of architectural history."

An undated photo shows former NIU student W. Joseph Zack working on a model of the Jacob Haish mansion. | Photo at Regional History Center, taken by Jessi LaRue

Shortly after Zack's project was completed, his items were on display at both the Ellwood House Museum, and later the DeKalb Public Library. After exhibition, the items were donated to the Regional History Center at Northern Illinois University, where they remain to this day.

Of all the items Zack created for his project, he created four Haish-related pieces: a watercolor, two ink drawings, and a model, all of the Haish house. The current owner/location of the watercolor is unknown, but the drawings and model can still be viewed at the Regional History Center.

An illustration of the Jacob Haish residence by W. Joseph Zack. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

"My one-man show was ultimately a presentation of architectural illustrations and models as an art form and as an educational effort directed towards the public interest," Zack wrote in his thesis.

According to the thesis, the model was created using a variety of woods, paper and plastic products, and paints. Woods used in the model include maple, walnut, mahogany, oak, pine and more.

An undated photo of the Jacob Haish model, taken shortly after completion. | Photo at Regional History Center, taken by Jessi LaRue

The Jacob Haish mansion model today. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Below are photos of the model and drawings. The model is not in the same condition as it was in its prime, however, it still gives a great representation of a building that no longer stands.