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- Wright Studies
- Frank L. Smith Bank, Dwight, Illinois (1905 - S.111)
Frank L. Smith Bank Furniture By 1905, Wright had completed some of his most important Prairie styled homes and buildings. The Bradley, Hickox, Willits, Henderson, Little, Dana-Thomas, Larkin, Unity Temple, and Martin, to name a few. Wright was intimately involved in some of the smallest design elements. This was true for the Frank L. Smith Bank.
In "The Decorative Designs of Frank Lloyd Wright", Hanks, 1979, there is a copy of an ink well Wright took the time to design and describe in detail. The fixtures, the skylight, the fireplace, an ink well and the furniture were all designed by Wright for the bank. The furniture was manufactured by John W. Ayers Co., Chicago.
Table designed by Wright in 1905 (84 Inches wide).
This table was sold at the Treadway-Toomey Galleries in May 1999. "The rectangular top with incised edge, supported by square legs with double molded details at top and base, 84"w x 42"d x 29"h." Lot 438, sale price $28,000. Courtesy The Treadway-Toomey Galleries.
Office Desk designed by Wright in 1905 (54 Inches wide).
This desk is in the brochure published by The First National Bank of Dwight, Dwight, Illinois. Courtesy of The First National Bank of Dwight.
Oak with brass drawer pulls, 54w x 27d x 28.5h. Desk for an executive of the bank. Designed with thick legs and horizontal bands. The edges of the desk top have a deeply carved horizontal panel or groove. Published in "In Pursuit of Order, Frank Lloyd Wright from 1897 to 1915" Struve Gallery, 1988.
Accounting Table (Lobby Table) designed by Wright in 1905 (69 Inches wide).
Oak with brass drawer pulls, 69w x 36d x 40.5h. Very similar in design to the other desks and tables, but much taller in height. This allowed the bookkeeper to either stand or sit on one of the stools Wright designed. But one addition that does not appear on the other tables and desks are the additional vertical spindles. It also appears that the top may not be the original top for this table. With all tables matching so closely in detail, it would seem to reason that the original top would have been more consistent. This is described here as an "Accounting Table". But is seems a more accurate description would be "Lobby Table". Clients entering the bank need a desk to stand at to fill out their deposit slips, etc. Hence a table 40.5 inches high. Published in "In Pursuit of Order, Frank Lloyd Wright from 1897 to 1915" Struve Gallery, 1988.
Standing Desk designed by Wright in 1905.
This desk was one of the items at Wright Auctions in May 2008. 46"w x 22"d x 50"h. Lot 321, sale price estimated at $12,000-15,000. Item did not sell. Courtesy Wrights. There is an additional example of this desk published in "Decorative Designs", Hanks, 1979, page 38, fig. 47, and is identified as a desk from the Frank L. Smith Bank. But when it is compared with the other furniture designed by Wright for the bank, it is not consistent. The edge of the desk top does not have the deeply carved horizontal panel or groove consistent in the other table tops and chairs. It does not have the double horizontal strip of molding top and bottom. The base molding is also different. This calls into question the whether this desk was designed for the Frank L. Smith Bank.
Barrel Chair designed by Wright in 1905.
This arm chair was sold at Sotheby's in December 2007. 29.125"h. Lot 369, sale price $11,875. Wright designed his first barrel chair for the Darwin D. Martin residence in 1904. These are quite different in style, and were used with the desks and conference tables in the bank and real estate offices. Composed of horizontal and vertical lines, as-well-as circles. The outside arms of the chair have a deeply carved horizontal panel that is consistent with the table top edges. Courtesy Sotheby's.
Barrel Chair. Oak, 29h x 19.5 in diameter. Wright designed his first barrel chair for the Darwin D. Martin residence in 1904. These are quite different in style, and were used with the desks and conference tables in the bank and real estate offices. Composed of horizontal and vertical lines, as-well-as circles. The outside arms of the chair have a deeply carved horizontal panel that is consistent with the table top edges. Published in "In Pursuit of Order, Frank Lloyd Wright from 1897 to 1915" Struve Gallery, 1988.
Frank L. Smith Bank Chairs, Dwight, IL. Two barrel chairs designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Frank L. Smith Bank in 1905. The chairs were manufactured by the John W. Ayers, Co., Chicago. Caption pasted on verso: "Frank Lloyd Wright designed barrel chair, from 1906." Stamped on caption "Jan 15 ‘89". Second caption pasted on verso: "Barrel Chairs designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for a Dwight, Ill., bank in 1906 ($18,000 each), at Struve Gallery, 309 W. Superior St." Stamped on caption "Sep 17 ‘89". Stamped on verso: "Jan 18, 1989". Photographed by Struve Gallery.
Teller Stools designed by Wright in 1905.
Stools have a rectangular top raised on square supports. 18.5"w x 12.25"d x 27"h.
