DOCSLIB.ORG

Taking Stock of Frank Lloyd Wright at 15O Stock of Frank Lloyd Wright Taking Wright-Designed Restoring Building Owner Resources

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Taking Stock of Frank Lloyd Wright at 15O Stock of Frank Lloyd Wright Taking Wright-Designed Restoring Building Owner Resources EDUCATION | ADVOCACY | PRESERVATION THE MAGAZINE OF THE FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT BUILDING CONSERVANCY THE MAGAZINE OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT BUILDING CONSERVANCY FALL 2017 / VOLUME 8 ISSUE 2 FALL SPECIAL EDITION Taking Stock of Frank Lloyd Wright at 15O Guest Editors: Neil Levine Susan Jacobs Lockhart president’s MESSAGE an architectural awakening I am not an architect, architectural historian, critic or scholar, as are the eminent contributors to this special issue of SaveWright. Nonetheless, I would like to add my appreciation of Frank Lloyd Wright from my personal perspective as a 20-year owner of Wright’s Usonian Richardson House in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. What first impressed my husband and me when we viewed the house in February 1996 was the light, glancing off the surrounding snow and through the glass doors that comprised two sides of the triangular living room. Then we focused on the details: the fact that the house was built on a hexagonal grid with walls meeting only at 60- or 120-degree angles (the two exceptions being for bathtub corners). And then there was the living room ceiling, comprised of a reversed truss support- ing the flat roof, clad in cypress so as to create a downward-facing pyramid in the center of the living space. To my knowledge, that feature is unique among Wright-designed interiors. And in yet another architecturally significant gesture, Wright designed the three bedrooms and a bath, not in-line, as was typical of Usonian architecture of the time, but as emanating spoke-like from a central “loggia” opening into a walled garden. The careful crafting of brick and cypress to meet the demands of the house’s geometry was evident throughout. Our decision to trade Victorian for Wrightian architecture was almost instantaneous. We worried that living in a Wright-designed house would be oppressive, and that his spirit would control our every decision as we commenced a 20-year period of renovation. While preservation principles necessarily guided the work that was done, they never felt confining; particularly, I think, because the underlying plan of the house, designed in 1941, remained both modern and surprisingly flexible. Further, we grew close to the craftspeople that we hired to perform the work, all of whom appreciated the house and the skill with which it was planned and created. In sum, Wright, albeit posthumously, gifted us with an architectural awakening that would not have occurred in another environment, and with like-minded friends (including many from the Conservancy), with whom we shared our good fortune. Edith Payne President, Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy Former Owner, Richardson House CONTENTS Cover photo by Pedro E. Guerrero. Sixty Years of Living Architecture: The Work of Frank Lloyd Wright in New York, 1953. © 2017, Pedro E. Guerrero Archives. SaveWright is a biannual publication of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. 1 Taking Stock of Frank Lloyd Wright at 15O Guest Editors: Neil Levine, Susan Jacobs Lockhart Executive Editor: Susan Jacobs Lockhart 22 Building Owner Resources: Restoring Wright-designed Managing Editor: Joel Hoglund Designers: Debbie Nemeth, Joel Hoglund (Feature) Bathrooms at Graycliff The mission of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building 25 Executive Director’s Letter: A Shared Experience Conservancy is to facilitate the preservation and maintenance of the remaining structures designed by Frank Lloyd Wright through education, advocacy and technical services. tel: 312.663.5500 email: [email protected] web: savewright.org © 2017, Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy FRAl\T'K LLOYD WRIGHT "I bequeath my soul to God.... For my name and memory, I leave it to men's charitable speeches, and to foreign nations, and the next age." -FRANCIS BACON We mourn -with you the death of in his best works and writings, and Italy's past. We loved and honored the -world's greatest architect: He. it is this side of Wright that may him. Now we feel desperate, for a who almost singlehanded, a half have the best and most enduring modern architectural culture seems century "and more ago, created an influence on the younger genera- inconceivable without him. In Ven- architecture of the twentieth cen- tions. ice University I spent an entire day tury; an American .architecture of JOSE LUIS SERT Cambruioe, Mass. with the students going over his Taking Stock of which We are all rightf~lIy proud. buildings, r-eading passages from His monument is assured in the his books, and listening to record- great buildings which outlive him. A greater influence on students, ar- _ ings of his speeches. He seemed to PHILIP JOHNSON New York City chi teets, clients, and people could be living among us as h~win for- not have been put in -one lifetime. ever. We share our American col- A. QUINCY JONES Los Angeles leagues' grief, for Wright was the Death came to Frank Lloyd Wright world's greatest architect of all on the twentieth anniversary of the times. opening of the administration cen- When history sifts down to its . BRUNO ZEVI Rome, Italy Frank Lloyd Wright at 15O ter he designed for us. It has been short list of lasting names of this said that no business building in century. Frank Lloyd Wright will this century more surely combined be on that list. Little did Pope Frank Lloyd Wright will be re- originality, beauty, and functional Julius the Second suspect that his membered as a champion of the values. This and other buildings he greatest claim to fame was his human spirit against the conformi- designed for us, including the quarrels with Michelangelo. It is ties of our era. His valiant spirit INTRODUCTION BY NEIL LEVINE Johnson Research Tower, mark the to the discredit of our business and will redeem our architecture. man himself as an authentic origi- government not to have given JOSEPH HUDNUT Dover, Mass. nal in our time. I believe the fame Wright greater opportunities, and he achieved in his long and vigor- our profession will bear the brand ous life will increase with the years of not recognizing him as "the ar- A fine and good man has passed OD. and that his influence on future chitect of the century." We are still He was a genius not only of the generations as a thinker as well as too close to him, and it is difficult building art of America but also in an architect will be profound. to distinguish between the great his life and art in general. He has H. F. JOHNSON Racine, Wis. message he, in his concept of archi- in his creations showed a passion tecture, has given us and the per- for humanity. His forms in art will sonal style which should remain surely retain their greatness more Farewell to this genius of architec- his own. As time goes by, his con- than 100 years ahead. Personally I ture. This is the great man whose tribution will ring clearer and be- have lost a real friend. Following Wright’s death in 1959, Architectural Forum essential truth is in his buildings come part of the architecture of ALVAR AALTO Helsinki, Finland and his writings. His is the great- generations to come. est influence on architecture to EERO SAARINEN Bloomfield Hills, truth and beauty: his the influence Mich. Frank Lloyd Wright was a great on man to richness and liveliness architect who early used free forms published a group of “comments” on his “life and of spirit. Farewell. which made for the interior flow ANSHEN & ALLEN San Francisco For Italian architects Wright was of space. Further he used da~light not only the greatest living genius sources as a painter does a palette but also the incarnation of ideals of colors which means that all di- I admire in Wright's work the de- which make being an architect rections and all locations in a room work” by architects, critics, historians, clients and velopment of Sullivan's principles worth-while. The antifascist fight are in repose. in new and varied forms, his per- coincided for us with a growing WILLIAM W. WURSTER Berkley, Calif. sistent spirit of revolt against the passion for Wright's architecture, dangers of a modern academicism because it stood for individual free- other professional acquaintances. To mark Wright’s and the limitations imposed by dom and democratic courage. He Frank Lloyd Wright was a distin- rigid doctrines. Above all I admire was the only creator we could com- guished architect as to form and the full enjoyment of life expressed pare with the greatest masters of shape and design, of course. But his sesquicentennial, Susan Jacobs Lockhart and I thought Architectural Forum I M~Y 1958 113 it would be interesting to revive the Forum’s idea in order to take stock of how attitudes toward Wright Philip Johnson have evolved over the past half century. We have We mourn with you the death of the world’s greatest architect. He, who perforce included only architects, historians and critics almost singlehanded, a half century and more ago, created an architecture of the 20th century; an American architecture of which we are all rightfully (and excluded those who participated in the Conser- proud. His monument is assured in the great buildings which outlive him. vancy’s symposium in New York in September 2017). Anshen & Allen Our letter requesting “a statement of anywhere from Farewell to this genius of architecture. This is the great man whose essen- 50 to 500 words or more” said that we were “looking tial truth is in his buildings and his writings. His is the greatest influence on for candid and thoughtful appraisals from those who architecture to truth and beauty; his the influence on man to richness and liveliness of spirit.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Lincoln Logs Inventor John Lloyd Wright | Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation 
    8/20/2019 Lincoln Logs Inventor John Lloyd Wright | Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation An advertisement for Lincoln Logs, 1925. Courtesy of Period Paper Lincoln Logs Inventor John Lloyd Wright AUGUST 23, 2018 BY MONICA M. SMITH Yes, this popular childhood toy was designed by none other than the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright! Years ago while conducting research for the Lemelson Center’s Invention at Play exhibition, I was surprised to learn that Lincoln Logs—one of my favorite childhood toys—were designed by John Lloyd Wright, son of world-famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Overshadowed by his father, John has received little attention beyond a brief 1982 biography now available online. And he certainly seemed reticent about telling his own story, instead publicly sharing only a few experiences as part of his short, impressionistic 1946 book about Frank titled My Father Who Is On Earth. https://invention.si.edu/lincoln-logs-inventor-john-lloyd-wright 1/5 8/20/2019 Lincoln Logs Inventor John Lloyd Wright | Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation Left: John Lloyd Wright in Spring Green, Wisconsin, 1921, ICHi-173783. Right: Frank Lloyd Wright with son John Lloyd Wright, undated., i73784. Courtesy of Chicago History Museum Turns out that John was both a successful toy designer and an architect in, dare I say it, his own right. Here is a brief overview of his story, including the origins of those ever-popular Lincoln Logs. Born in 1892, John Kenneth (later changed to Lloyd) Wright was the second of Frank and Catherine Wright’s six children.
    [Show full text]
  • How Did Frank Lloyd Wright Establish a New Canon of American
    “ The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization.” -Frank Lloyd Wright How did Frank Lloyd Wright establish a new canon of American architecture? Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) •Considered an architectural/artistic genius and THE best architect of last 125 years •Designed over 800 buildings •Known for ‘Prairie Style’ (really a movement!) architecture that influenced an entire group of architects •Believed in “architecture of democracy” •Created an “organic form of architecture” Prairie School The term "Prairie School" was coined by H. Allen Brooks, one of the first architectural historians to write extensively about these architects and their work. The Prairie school shared an embrace of handcrafting and craftsmanship as a reaction against the new assembly line, mass production manufacturing techniques, which they felt created inferior products and dehumanized workers. However, Wright believed that the use of the machine would help to create innovative architecture for all. From your architectural samples, what may we deduce about the elements of Wright’s work? Prairie School • Use of horizontal lines (thought to evoke native prairie landscape) • Based on geometric forms . Flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves . “Environmentally” set: elevations, overhangs oriented for ventilation . Windows grouped in horizontal bands called ribbon fenestration that used shifting light . Window to wall ratio affected exterior & interior . Overhangs & bays reach out to embrace . Integration with the landscape…Wright designed inside going out . Solid construction & indigenous materials (brick, wood, terracotta, stucco…natural materials) . Open continuous plan & spaces; use of dissolving walls, but connected spaces Prairie School •Designed & used “glass screens” that echoed natural forms •Created Usonian homes for the “masses” Frank Lloyd Wright, Darwin D.
    [Show full text]
  • VILLAGE WIDE ARCHITECTURAL + HISTORICAL SURVEY Final
    VILLAGE WIDE ARCHITECTURAL + HISTORICAL SURVEY Final Survey Report August 9, 2013 Village of River Forest Historic Preservation Commission CONTENTS INTRODUCTION P. 6 Survey Mission p. 6 Historic Preservation in River Forest p. 8 Survey Process p. 10 Evaluation Methodology p. 13 RIVER FOREST ARCHITECTURE P. 18 Architectural Styles p. 19 Vernacular Building Forms p. 34 HISTORIC CONTEXT P. 40 Nineteenth Century Residential Development p. 40 Twentieth Century Development: 1900 to 1940 p. 44 Twentieth Century Development: 1940 to 2000 p. 51 River Forest Commercial Development p. 52 Religious and Educational Buildings p. 57 Public Schools and Library p. 60 Campuses of Higher Education p. 61 Recreational Buildings and Parks p. 62 Significant Architects and Builders p. 64 Other Architects and Builders of Note p. 72 Buildings by Significant Architect and Builders p. 73 SURVEY FINDINGS P. 78 Significant Properties p. 79 Contributing Properties to the National Register District p. 81 Non-Contributing Properties to the National Register District p. 81 Potentially Contributing Properties to a National Register District p. 81 Potentially Non-Contributing Properties to a National Register District p. 81 Noteworthy Buildings Less than 50 Years Old p. 82 Districts p. 82 Recommendations p. 83 INVENTORY P. 94 Significant Properties p. 94 Contributing Properties to the National Register District p. 97 Non-Contributing Properties to the National Register District p. 103 Potentially Contributing Properties to a National Register District p. 104 Potentially Non-Contributing Properties to a National Register District p. 121 Notable Buildings Less than 50 Years Old p. 125 BIBLIOGRAPHY P. 128 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS RIVER FOREST HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION David Franek, Chair Laurel McMahon Paul Harding, FAIA Cindy Mastbrook Judy Deogracias David Raino-Ogden Tom Zurowski, AIA PROJECT COMMITTEE Laurel McMahon Tom Zurowski, AIA Michael Braiman, Assistant Village Administrator SURVEY TEAM Nicholas P.
    [Show full text]
  • Reciprocal Sites Membership Program
    2015–2016 Frank Lloyd Wright National Reciprocal Sites Membership Program The Frank Lloyd Wright National Reciprocal Sites Program includes 30 historic sites across the United States. FLWR on your membership card indicates that you enjoy the National Reciprocal sites benefit. Benefits vary from site to site. Please check websites listed in this brochure for detailed information on each site. ALABAMA ARIZONA CALIFORNIA FLORIDA 1 Rosenbaum House 2 Taliesin West 3 Hollyhock House 4 Florida Southern College 601 RIVERVIEW DRIVE 12621 N. FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT BLVD BARNSDALL PARK 750 FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT WAY FLORENCE, AL 35630 SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85261-4430 4800 HOLLYWOOD BLVD LAKELAND, FL 33801 256.718.5050 480.860.2700 LOS ANGELES, CA 90027 863.680.4597 ROSENBAUMHOUSE.COM FRANKLLOYDWRIGHT.ORG 323.644.6269 FLSOUTHERN.EDU/FLW WRIGHTINALABAMA.COM FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION BARNSDALL.ORG FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION TOUR HOURS: 9AM–4PM FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION TOUR HOURS: TOUR HOURS: BOOKSHOP HOURS: 8:30AM–6PM TOUR HOURS: THURS–SUN, 11AM–4PM OPEN ALL YEAR, EXCEPT OPEN ALL YEAR, EXCEPT TOUR TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS AND NEW Experience firsthand Frank Lloyd MAJOR HOLIDAYS. HOLLYHOCK HOUSE VISITOR’S CENTER YEAR’S DAY. 10AM–4PM Wright’s brilliant ability to integrate TUES–SAT, 10AM–4PM IN BARNSDALL PARK. VISITOR CENTER & GIFT SHOP HOURS: SUN, 1PM–4PM indoor and outdoor spaces at Taliesin Hollyhock House is Wright’s first 9:30AM–4:30PM West—Wright’s winter home, school The Rosenbaum House is the only Los Angeles project. Built between and studio from 1937-1959, located Discover the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed 1919 and 1923, it represents his on 600 acres of dramatic desert.
    [Show full text]
  • Starchitect:” Wright Finds His Voice After Being Fired
    Athens Journal of Architecture - Volume 5, Issue 3– Pages 301-318 After the “Starchitect:” Wright Finds his Voice after Being Fired By Michael O'Brien * The term ―Starchitect‖ seems to have originated in the 1940’s to describe a ―film star who has designed a house‖ but of late has been understood as an architect who has risen to celebrity status in the general culture. Louis Sullivan, like Daniel Burnham, might have been considered a ―starchitect.‖ Starchitects are frequently associated with a unique style or approach to architecture and all who work for them, adopt this style as their own as a matter of employment. Frank Lloyd Wright was one of these architects, working under and in the idiom of Louis Sullivan for six years, learning to draw and develop motifs in the style of Louis Sullivan. Frank Lloyd Wright’s firing by Louis Sullivan in 1893 and his rapidly growing family set him on an urgent course to seek his own voice. The bootleg houses, designed outside the contract terms Wright had with Adler and Sullivan caused the separation, likely fueled by both Sullivan and Wright’s ego, which left Wright alone, separated from his ―Lieber Meister‖1 or ―Beloved Master.‖ These early houses by Wright were adaptations of various styles popular in the times, Neo-Colonial for Blossom, Victorian for Parker and Gale, each, as Wright explained were not ―radical‖ because ―I could not follow up on them.‖2 Wright, like many young architects, had not yet codified his ideas and strategies for activating space and form. How does one undertake the search for one’s language of these architectural essentials? Does one randomly pursue a course of trial and error casting about through images that capture one’s attention? Do we restrict our voice to that which has already been voiced in history? Wright’s agenda would have included the merging of space and enclosure with site and nature structured as he understood it from Sullivan’s Ornament.
    [Show full text]
  • The 20Th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright National Locator Unity Temple, Oak Park, Illinois
    The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright National Locator Unity Temple, Oak Park, Illinois 87.800° W 87.795° W 87.790° W Erie St N Grove Ave Grove N 41.8902° N, 87.7947° W Ontario St 41.8901° N, 87.7992° W E E 41.890° N 41.890° N Austin Garden Park Scoville Park N Euclid Ave Euclid N N Linden Ave Linden N Forest Ave Forest N Oak Park Ave Park Oak N N Kenilworth Ave Kenilworth N Lake St Unity Temple ! 41.888° N 41.888° N E 41.8878° N, 87.7995° W E North Blvd 41.8874° N, 87.7946° W South Blvd 41.886° N 41.886° N Home Ave Home S Grove Ave Grove S S Euclid Ave Euclid S S Clinton Ave Clinton S S Wesley Ave Wesley S S Oak Park Ave Park Oak S S Kenilworth Ave Kenilworth S 87.800° W 87.795° W Pleasant St 87.790° W Nominated National Historic Projection: Lambert Conformal Conic 1:4,500 Green Space/Park Datum: North American Datum 1983 Property Landmark Production Date: October 2015 0 100 Meters ! Gould Center, Department of Geography ¹ Buffer Zone Center Point Buildings The Pennsylvania State University Frederick C. Robie House, Chicago, Illinois Frederick C. Robie House, Chicago, Illinois 87.600° W 87.598° W 87.596° W Ave Kimbark S 87.594° W 87.592° W S Woodlawn Ave Woodlawn S E 57th St 41.791° N 41.791° N S Kimbark Ave Kimbark S 41.7904° N, 87.5972° W E41.7904 N, 87.5957° W S Ellis Ave Ellis S E S Kenwood Avenue Kenwood S Frederick C.
    [Show full text]
  • E N G L I S H
    Matura Examination 2017 E N G L I S H Advance Information The written Matura examination in English consists of four main sections (total 90 credits in sections I-III): Section I: Listening (credits: 14) Multiple choice and questions Section II: Reading Comprehension (credits: 20) 1. Short answer questions Section III: Use of English (credits: 56) 1. Synonyms 2. Antonyms 3. Word Formation 4. Sentence Transformation 5. Open Cloze Section IV: Writing, approx. 400 words (the mark achieved in this part will make up 50% of the overall mark) Time management: the total time is 240 minutes. We recommend you spend 120 minutes on sections I-III, and 120 minutes on section IV. Write legibly and unambiguously. Spelling is important in all parts of the examination. Use of dictionary: You will be allowed to use a monolingual dictionary after handing in sections I-III. The examination is based on Morgan Meis’s article “Frank Lloyd Wright Tried to Solve the City”, published in the “Critics” section of the May 22, 2014 issue of The New Yorker magazine. Frank Lloyd Wright Tried to Solve the City by MORGAN MEIS In: The New Yorker, May 22, 2014 Frank Lloyd Wright1 hated cities. He thought that they were cramped and crowded, stupidly designed, or, more often, built without any sense of design at all. He once wrote, “To look at the 5 plan of a great City is 5 to look at something like the cross-section of a fibrous tumor.” Wright was always looking for a way to cure the cancer of the city.
    [Show full text]
  • Artistic Evolution at the Confluence of Cultures
    Dochaku: Artistic Evolution at the Confluence of Cultures Toshiko Oiyama A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Art, College of Fine Arts University of New South Wales 2011 Acknowledgements Had I known the extent of work required for a PhD research, I would have had a second, and probably a third, thought before starting. My appreciation goes to everyone who made it possible for me to complete the project, which amounts to almost all with whom I came in contact while undertaking the project. Specifically, I would like to thank my supervisors Dr David McNeill, Nicole Ellis, Dr Paula Dawson, Mike Esson and Dr Diane Losche, for their inspiration, challenge, and encouragement. Andrew Christofides was kind to provide me with astute critiques of my practical work, while Dr Vaughan Rees and my fellow PhD students were ever ready with moral support. Special thanks goes to Dr Janet Chan for giving me the first glimpse of the world of academic research, and for her insightful comments on my draft. Ms Hitomi Uchikura and Ms Kazuko Hj were the kind and knowledgeable guides to the contemporary art world in Japan, where I was a stranger. Margaret Blackmore and Mitsuhiro Obora came to my rescue with their friendship and technical expertise in producing this thesis. My sister Setsuko Sprague and my mother Nobuko Oiyama had faith in my ability to complete the task, which kept me afloat. Lastly, a huge thanks goes to my husband Derry Habir. I hold him partly responsible for the very existence of this project – he knew before I ever did that I wanted to do a PhD, and knew when and how to give me a supporting hand in navigating its long process.
    [Show full text]
  • National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This Form Is for Use in Nominating Or Requesting Determinations for Individual Properties and Districts
    NPS Form 10-900 \M/IVIUJ i ^vy. (Oct. 1990) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. 1. Name of Property___________________________________________________________ historic name Wayfarers Chapel ________________________________ other names/site number__________________________________________ 2. Location ___________________________ street & number 5755 Palos Verdes Drive South_______ NA d not for publication city or town Rancho Palos Verdes________________ NAD vicinity state California_______ code CA county Los Angeles. code 037_ zip code 90275 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1986, as amended, I hereby certify that this C3 nomination D request f fr*d; (termination
    [Show full text]
  • Preserving Graycliff:An Examination of the Colors,Fabrics and Furniture of the Frank Lloyd Wright Designed Summer Residence of I
    Figure 1. Graycliff exterior. 2001 WAG Postprints—Dallas, Texas Preserving Graycliff:An Examination of the Colors, Fabrics and Furniture of the Frank Lloyd Wright Designed Summer Residence of Isabelle Martin Pamela Kirschner Abstract Information was gathered in a study of the interior color scheme, fabrics and furni- ture of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed house Graycliff. The house is situated on a cliff overlooking Lake Erie in Derby, New York. It was designed by Wright in 1926 for Isabelle Martin, the wife of the industrialist Darwin Martin. Wright designed both freestanding and built-in furniture for the house interior and also suggested colors and fabrics. Extensive written documentation and original photographs found in the archives of the State University of New York at Buffalo have been utilized to determine the colors, materials and furniture original to the house. Physical evidence found on the remaining original furniture, moldings and upholstered pillows provides informa- tion about fi nishes, construction and show cover fabrics. Information on historic methods and materials from the period is provided for comparison with the physi- cal evidence along with scientifi c analysis of fi nishes. The conservation treatment methods are also discussed. This technical and historical information is helpful for conservators and curators to better understand the materials and construction used in Frank Lloyd Wright designs during this time period. It also promotes the proper care and conservation treatment of these objects while preserving original fi nishes and the historic intent of the house. Introduction Graycliff was the summer estate of Isabelle R. and Darwin D. Martin and is located on the cliffs above Lake Erie in Derby, New York, fourteen miles south of Buffalo.
    [Show full text]
  • Preserving the Textile Block at Florida Southern College a Report Prepared for the World Monuments Fund Jeffrey M
    Preserving the Textile Block at Florida Southern College A Report Prepared for the World Monuments Fund Jeffrey M. Chusid, Preservation Architect 18 September 2009 ISBN-10: 1-890879-43-6 ISBN-13: 978-1-890879-43-3 © 2011 World Monuments Fund 2 Letter from World Monuments Fund President Bonnie Burnham 4 Letter from Florida Southern President Anne B. Kerr, Ph.D. 5 Executive Summary 6 Introduction 7 Preservation Philosophy 7 History and Significance 10 Ideas behind the System 10 Description of the System 10 Conservation Issues with the System in Earlier Sites 13 Recent Conservation Projects at the Storer, Freeman, and Ennis Houses 14 Florida Southern College 16 A History of Changes 18 Site Conditions and Analysis 19 Contents Prior research and observations 19 WMF Site visit 19 Taxonomy of Conservation Problems in the Textile-Block System 20 Issues and Challenges 22 The Textile-Block System 22 The Block 23 Methodologies 24 Conservation 25 Recommendations 26 Appendix A: Visual Conditions Documentation 29 Appendix B: Team Members 38 3 In April 2009, World Monuments Fund was honored to convene a historic gathering of historians, architects, conservators, craftsmen, and scientists at Florida Southern College to explore Frank Lloyd Wright’s use of ornamental concrete textile block construction. To Wright, this material was a highly expressive, decorative, and practical approach to create monumental yet affordable buildings. Indeed, some of his most iconic structures, including the Ennis House in Los Angeles, utilized the textile block system. However, like so many of Wright’s experiments with materials and engineering, textile block has posed major challenges to generations of building owners, architects, and conservators who have struggled with the system’s material and structural performance.
    [Show full text]
  • Frank Lloyd Wright
    'SBOL-MPZE8SJHIU )JTUPSJD"NFSJDBO #VJMEJOHT4VSWFZ '$#PHL)PVTF $PNQJMFECZ.BSD3PDILJOE Frank Lloyd Wright Historic American Buildings Survey Sample: F. C. Bogk House Compiled by Marc Rochkind Frank Lloyd Wright: Historic American Buildings Survey, Sample Compiled by Marc Rochkind ©2012,2015 by Marc Rochkind. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any means (including electronic) without permission in writing from the copyright holder. Copyright does not apply to HABS materials downloaded from the Library of Congress website, although it does apply to the arrangement and formatting of those materials in this book. For information about other works by Marc Rochkind, including books and apps based on Library of Congress materials, please go to basepath.com. Introduction The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) was started in 1933 as one of the New Deal make-work programs, to employ jobless architects, draftspeople, and photographers. Its purpose is to document the nation’s architectural heritage, especially those buildings that are in danger of ruin or deliberate destruction. Today, the HABS is part of the National Park Service and its repository is in the Library of Congress, much of which is available online at loc.gov. Of the tens of thousands HABS buildings, I found 44 Frank Lloyd Wright designs that have been digitized. Each HABS survey includes photographs and/or drawings and/or a report. I’ve included here what the Library of Congress had–sometimes all three, sometimes two of the three, and sometimes just one. There might be a single photo or drawing, or, such as in the case of Florida Southern College (in volume two), over a hundred.
    [Show full text]