The mission
of the Wright Library is to collect, catalog, preserve and archive items that are
published by and about Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as items that relate to
Wright and his work. We have produced nearly 150 photographic
Studies documenting design details of many of
Frank Lloyd Wright's homes and buildings. We diverge only when there is a relationship to Wright,
such as John Keats'
Eve of St. Agnes,
published volumes by
Way & Williams and
Ralph Fletcher Seymour.
I have to admit that I am just an apprentice when it comes to
the study of Frank
Lloyd Wright. But what started as a raised eyebrow back in college, turned from a
fascination into awe. I am envious when other friends and acquaintances tells
me with delight about a site in Tulsa or Florida they have had the opportunity to visit,
and I have not.
My first brush with Wright came when I was
attending College in
Elmhurst, Illinois. Every day I would drive through a section in town with
beautiful homes, one in particular stood out. I dont even remember how the subject was broached, but my mother
mentioned to me that the home was a Wright home. As I researched this very modern looking
home, the Henderson House, I came to realize that it was one of the oldest homes on the
block, built in 1906. How could this be. Its one of the oldest, yet looked
newer than any of the others. Thus, the beginning of my quest!
I moved to Seattle in 1975. In 1976 I drove by the Tracy Home in
Normandy Park, an area south of Seattle. Studying this home from the street, what struck me was that
this Usonian home seemed to grow from the landscape. It didnt just sit on the
lot like most other homes, it blended with its surroundings.
Touring Fallingwater 1991 was almost a spiritual experience. I have
not been able to come up with another term to describe the experience. The merging of
interior and exterior mediums was remarkable.
It took me years to realize that what I was experiencing was
art. I love hanging artwork on my walls. It touches the soul. But walking into a Wright home
is like walking into a piece of three dimensional art. It surrounds you.
We have assembled over 20,000 books,
periodicals,
photographs and
artifacts related to Wright, including many rare books. The number of books, articles and pamphlets
written by and about Wright is overwhelming, and continues to increase. We have also acquired items of interest. You might be surprised
to learn that there are seven U.S. and one
foreign stamp commemorating Wright
and his work. We have
acquired the only known
silverware to have
survived the destruction of the Imperial Hotel, original
Heller capitals, documented
the Hoffman Showroom before
its secretive destruction, chronicled portraits of Frank Lloyd Wright...
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