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Chicago Tribune
11 hours ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Larry Deutsch, interior designer and art collector, dies at 84
Interior designer and art collector Larry Deutsch ran his Near North Side design firm for close to 35 years with an adept touch for educating his clients and working within their budgets. 'His clients really appreciated him,' said Stuart Shayman, an architect who worked closely with Deutsch. 'He was very passionate about what he did — and about his profession — and I would say he was pretty close to being a perfectionist. If things didn't go right, he could roll with it but he wanted to get as close as he could.' Deutsch, 84, died of complications from Parkinson's disease on June 28 at his home in Tucson, Arizona, said his daughter Cathy. He had been a Tucson resident since 2000 after previously living in Chicago and Highland Park. Born Larry Nathan Deutsch in Plainfield, New Jersey, Deutsch grew up in Tucson and received a bachelor's degree in fine arts in painting from the University of Arizona in 1963. He worked in San Diego at a retail furniture store before moving to Chicago in 1965 with his then-wife, real estate agent Julie Deutsch. He briefly worked for interior designer Evelyn Mayer before launching Larry N. Deutsch Interiors Ltd. in 1966. Deutsch's expertise in interior design was matched by a passion for architecture, his daughter said. 'My dad never met a wall he didn't want to move,' she said. 'He would move the wall around until he had a great canvas, and then he would cover the wall with art. Many of his clients were art collectors.' Deutsch's work largely involved redesigning clients' homes, but on occasion, he would provide design work for corporate headquarters offices. In 1976, the Tribune's Aaron Gold spotlighted Deutsch's 'striking and unusual interior design work' for a 102-foot yacht that was featured in Architectural Digest magazine. The boat was owned by then-Exchange National Bank chairman Ira Kaufman and his wife, Audrey. 'The boat was very ugly,' Deutsch recalled to the Tribune in 1988. 'It had dark mahogany beams and trim, Mediterranean and Chinese furniture. It needed to be revitalized. The Kaufmans wanted style, but they wanted something comfortable enough so you wouldn't feel that you couldn't touch things when you walked in. They wanted the boat to be dramatic, open but practical and real.' However, much of Deutsch's design work was not accompanied by exorbitant price tags for clients. Practical and attentive to his clients' budgets, he was a fan of any number of moves to get them what they needed. For instance, in a 1981 Tribune article, he termed room additions 'extravagantly practical,' and a convenient way to allow homeowners to get more of what they wanted without having to move. 'Most people are happy where they live. They're just not happy with their house the way it is,' he told the Tribune. Laura Michaud, a Chicago-area resident and client, recalled Deutsch as a designer with a 'great eye' who also excelled at educating his clients. Deutsch decorated Michaud's parents' home, her own home and the homes of one of her brothers. 'I've never worked with anybody who has been as thorough and with (such) a great eye,' she said. 'He also knew art extraordinarily well.' Another Chicago-area client, Diane Malzahn, recalled Deutsch's passion for 'imparting his knowledge to you.' 'When we would go, let's say, shopping at the Merchandise Mart, he was very explanatory about fabrics and the comfort of a chair. He was very into actually making sure that what you were going to sit in was something that you were going to be comfortable with for a long time,' Malzahn said. 'He always talked about the quality of the products that he would recommend. When we look around (our house), we see Larry Deutsch in everything we look at, every day. It makes us always remember him.' In the 1980s, Deutsch correctly predicted that the once down-trodden River North neighborhood was on the cusp of thriving. He put his money where his mouth was, investing in buildings in the 700 block of North Wells Street, including one that housed his business. He later moved his business to a space in the 300 block of West Huron Street, in the 1980s. Deutsch and his future husband, Bill Parker, collaborated for many years, and Deutsch's firm eventually was renamed Deutsch/Parker Design. After dividing their time between Chicago and Tucson for many years, the couple made Tucson their primary residence around 2000. They continued to have a place in Lakeview until about 2021, however, and the following year, they bought a condominium unit in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Although Deutsch considered himself retired sometime after moving to Tucson, he continued taking on design clients until about two years ago, Parker said. Deutsch was an avid art collector who inspired many clients to become art collectors as well, his daughter said. In the 1980s, he collected photographs, including ones taken by noted photographers Robert Mapplethorpe, Alfred Stieglitz, Robert Frank and Diane Arbus. Later, he collected 17th and 18th century porcelain. Most recently, he had become an enthusiast of Native American pottery. In addition to his husband and daughter, Deutsch is survived by two other daughters, Loren and Leigh; a stepdaughter, Julie McGill; a stepson, John Parker; four grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; and his former wife, Julie Deutsch. Services were held.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Did spiders swim before they could crawl? Fossil analysis reveals shocking information
Image credits: X/@PondManUK While many are understandably scared of snakes, what most seem to be terrified of are little, crawling creatures called spiders. Now it seems these crawlers were swimming in good ole waters before adapting to land and engaging in a never-ending game of I-spy with humans. According to the analysis of an "exquisitely preserved" fossil that existed 500 million years ago, spiders and their arachnid relatives may have actually originated in the sea. In a research published in the journal Current Biology, researchers at the University of Arizona performed a detailed examination of the brain and central nervous system of an extinct animal called Mollisonia Symmetrica. The species was previously believed to represent a specific group of arthropods called chelicerates that lived during the Cambrian period, between 540 and 485 million years ago. They were believed to be the ancestors of horseshoe crabs. However, after finding the neural arrangements in the creature's fossilized brain, the researchers understood that they were not organized like those in horseshoe crabs. Instead, they were organized akin to the ones in modern spiders and their relatives, said the researchers. The anterior part of Mollisonia's body -- the prosoma -- contains a radiating pattern of segmental ganglia that control the movements of five pairs of segmental appendages, the researchers said. Additionally, an unsegmented brain in their body extends short nerves to a pair of pincer-like "claws" similar to the fangs of spiders and other arachnids. Apart from all of this, the decisive feature that classifies the fossil as an early arachnid is the organisation of its brain, which has a reverse order to the front arrangement found in present-day crustaceans, insects, centipedes and horseshoe crabs, as per the researchers. It's as if the brain has been "flipped backwards," which is what is seen in modern spiders," said Nick Strausfeld, lead author of the paper and a regents professor at the University of Arizona, in a statement. The back-to-front arrangement in the spider brain provides shortcuts from neuronal control centres to underlying circuits, which control their movement. It also helps them with the stealth for hunting and dexterity for spinning webs. Why is the study shocking? Image credits: X Well, first, it changes our entire belief that spiders have been crawling the surface of the planet forever. Spiders and scorpions have existed on the planet for about 400 million years with little change, thus being the most successful group of arthropodan predators. The study challenges the long-held belief that the arachnids lived and diversified only on land. "It is still vigorously debated where and when arachnids first appeared, and what kind of chelicerates were their ancestors, and whether these were marine or semi-aquatic like horseshoe crabs," Strausfeld said. According to the researchers, the Mollisonia's lineage gave rise to spiders, scorpions, sun spiders, vinegarroons and whip scorpions.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
What the analysis of a 500-million-year-old fossil reveals about the origin of spiders
New research suggests spiders and other arachnids may have originated in the sea, based on analysis of a 500-million-year-old fossil. University of Arizona researchers studied the 'exquisitely preserved' brain of Mollisonia symmetrica, an extinct Cambrian-period species. The fossil's neural structure was found to resemble modern spiders and their relatives, rather than horseshoe crabs, as previously believed. A key feature identifying the fossil as an early arachnid is its unique brain organization, which appears 'flipped backwards' similar to modern spiders. This discovery challenges the common belief that arachnid diversification happened only after a common ancestor transitioned to land.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Spiders may have originated in the ocean before adapting to live on land
New research suggests spiders and other arachnids may have originated in the sea, based on analysis of a 500-million-year-old fossil. The "exquisitely preserved" specimen supports the idea that these creatures swam before adapting to life on land, according to a study published Tuesday in Current Biology. Researchers at the University of Arizona analyzed the fossilized brain of Mollisonia symmetrica, an extinct Cambrian-period species once thought to be an ancestor of horseshoe crabs. However, the study revealed that its neural structure more closely resembles that of modern spiders and their relatives, suggesting a closer evolutionary link to arachnids than previously believed. The front part of Mollisonia's body, called the prosoma, has a radiating pattern of nerve clusters that control five pairs of appendages. Additionally, its unsegmented brain sends short nerves to a pair of pincer-like 'claws,' resembling the fangs found in spiders and other arachnids. The key feature identifying the fossil as an early arachnid is its brain's unique organization, which is the reverse of the front-to-back arrangement seen in modern crustaceans, insects, centipedes and horseshoe crabs, researchers said. In a statement, Nick Strausfeld, lead author and professor at the University of Arizona, said the fossil's brain appears "flipped backwards," similar to modern spiders. This back-to-front brain arrangement may be a key evolutionary adaptation, providing neural shortcuts that enhance movement control. According to the study, this discovery questions the common belief that diversification happened only after a common ancestor transitioned to land. Earlier fossil evidence suggested that arachnids lived and evolved solely on land. "It is still vigorously debated where and when arachnids first appeared, and what kind of chelicerates were their ancestors, and whether these were marine or semi-aquatic like horseshoe crabs," Strausfeld said. As they adapted to life on land, Mollisonia-like arachnids likely fed on early insects and millipedes. These early arachnids may have also influenced the evolution of insect wings, an important defense mechanism. Researchers say the Mollisonia's ancestry likely led to spiders, scorpions, sun spiders, vinegaroons and whip scorpions.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Spiders may have originated in the ocean before adapting to live on land
New research suggests spiders and other arachnids may have originated in the sea, based on analysis of a 500-million-year-old fossil. The "exquisitely preserved" specimen supports the idea that these creatures swam before adapting to life on land, according to a study published Tuesday in Current Biology. Researchers at the University of Arizona analyzed the fossilized brain of Mollisonia symmetrica, an extinct Cambrian-period species once thought to be an ancestor of horseshoe crabs. However, the study revealed that its neural structure more closely resembles that of modern spiders and their relatives, suggesting a closer evolutionary link to arachnids than previously believed. The front part of Mollisonia's body, called the prosoma, has a radiating pattern of nerve clusters that control five pairs of appendages. Additionally, its unsegmented brain sends short nerves to a pair of pincer-like 'claws,' resembling the fangs found in spiders and other arachnids. The key feature identifying the fossil as an early arachnid is its brain's unique organization, which is the reverse of the front-to-back arrangement seen in modern crustaceans, insects, centipedes and horseshoe crabs, researchers said. In a statement, Nick Strausfeld, lead author and professor at the University of Arizona, said the fossil's brain appears "flipped backwards," similar to modern spiders. This back-to-front brain arrangement may be a key evolutionary adaptation, providing neural shortcuts that enhance movement control. According to the study, this discovery questions the common belief that diversification happened only after a common ancestor transitioned to land. Earlier fossil evidence suggested that arachnids lived and evolved solely on land. "It is still vigorously debated where and when arachnids first appeared, and what kind of chelicerates were their ancestors, and whether these were marine or semi-aquatic like horseshoe crabs," Strausfeld said. As they adapted to life on land, Mollisonia-like arachnids likely fed on early insects and millipedes. These early arachnids may have also influenced the evolution of insect wings, an important defense mechanism.
