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FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT
AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

BY EDGARKAUFMANN,JR.

WITHAN ESSAY
BYJULIAMEECH-PEKARIK
of FarEasternArt
AssociateCurator,Department

BYR.CRAIGMILLER
INTRODUCTION
Assistant of AmericanDecorativeArts
Curator,Department

THE METROPOLITAN M U S E U M OF ART

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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NOTE
Few artistshave contributedas muchto Americanart as Frank
LloydWright.Formore thanseventy-fiveyearshe playeda central
role in the developmentof modernarchitecture,and he remains
the most influential architectthat the UnitedStateshas produced.
The Metropolitan Museumof Art now honorsthisexceptionalartist
withthe permanentinstallation of the livingroomdesignedby Frank
LloydWrightfor the FrancisW. Littlehouse and an accompanying
temporaryexhibitionof Wrightmaterialinthe Museum's collection.
to note thatFrankLloydWright'sfirstcontactwith
Itis interesting
the Metropolitancame when he sold the Museuma series of
Japaneseprintsin 1918-22. He firsttraveledto the FarEastin 1905,
and he was to visitTokyonumeroustimes duringthe construction
of the ImperialHotel (c. 1916-22). Often actingas an agent for
other Americancollectors,Wrighthimselfacquiredan extensive
personalcollectionon thesetrips.In1918and 1922,recurring financial
problemsforced himto sell approximately four hundredworks-
including landscapesby Hiroshigeand Kabukiactors by the Katsu-
kawaartists-which are amongthe most important Japaneseprints
inthe Metropolitan.
The first object designed by Wrightto be acquiredby the
Museumwas the stunningtriptychof windows created for the
AveryCoonleyPlayhouse(1912) in Riverside,Illinois. The wonder-
fulabstractpatternsof circlesand squaresin primarycolors make
these windows amongthe finest leaded-glassdesignsby Wright.
Theiracquisitionin 1967,commemorating the hundredthanniver-
saryof Wright'sbirth,was madewithfundsprovidedbythe EdgarJ.
Kaufmann Foundation andEdwardC. Moore,Jr.Gifts.Inthe follow-
ing year, the Museumacquireda pair of side chairsfrom the
ImperialHotel, Wright'sgreatest buildingexecuted outside the
UnitedStates.
The Metropolitan's mostambitiousundertaking inthisarea,how-
ever,wasthe acquisition in 1972of the interiorsfromthe Francis W.
Littlehouse (1912-14) in Wayzata,Minnesota,whichwas made
possibleby the bequest of EmilyCrane Chadbourne.We were
particularly fortunateto acquireallof the originalfurniture,textiles,
andJapaneseprintsfrom the room. In addition,the Museumac-
quiredat the same time a group of architectural and furniture
sketchesfor the Littlehouse-the Metropolitan's firstdrawingsby
Wright-as well as three copies of the famousWasmuthportfolio
of Wright'sdrawingspublishedin 1910andtwo of the 1911Was-
muthbooks illustrated with photographs.
The lattermaterialis housed in the Departmentof Printsand
Photographs,which in recent years has activelyexpanded the
of the livingroom from the FrancisW. Littlehouse in
Cover:Installation
TheAmericanWing.
Museumof Art Bulletin
The Metropolitan
VolumeXL,Number2 (ISSN0026-1521)
Publishedquarterlycopyright 1982 by The MetropolitanMuseumof Art, Fifth
Avenueand82ndStreet,New York,N.Y.10028.Second-class postagepaidat
New York,N.Y.and Additional Mailing $18.00 a year.
Offices.Subscriptions
Singlecopies$4.75.Sentfreeto Museummembers.Fourweeks'noticerequired
for changeof address.Backissuesavailableon microfilm, from University
VolumesI-XXVIII
313 N. FirstStreet,AnnArbor,Michigan.
Microfilms, (1905-1942)
Museum's Wrightcollectionto includedecorativedrawings, graphics,
photographs, and books.Mostnotablythe PundtCollection,which
was acquiredin 1981, has augmentedour holdingsfrom the first
decade of the century,the yearsgenerallyreferredto as Wright's
Prairieperiod.
The greaterpart of our Wrightcollection,however,has been
formed in the last four years. The acquisitionsincludefurniture,
ceramics,glass,textiles,sculpture,andarchitectural fragmentsrang-
ingin date fromthe 1890sto the 1950s.Our holdingsnow consti-
tute what is perhapsthe finest Wrightcollectionin any museum.
Whilewe have receivedgiftsfrom numerousfriendsto whom we
are very grateful,our most recentpurchaseshavebeen made pos-
sibleby the TheodoreR. Gamble,Jr.Fund.
Theopeningof the Wrightroomandthe accompanying exhibition
is a notableoccasionfor The AmericanWingandfor the Museum.
Manypeopleshouldbe thankedfor theircontributions to thisevent.
Itwas EdgarTafeland ArthurRosenblattwho in 1971 broughtto
our attentionthe impendingdemolitionof the Littlehouse,whose
fate had been sealed by a decisionto build another structure
immediatelyadjacent.Thomas Hoving,BerryTracy,and Morri-
son Heckschernegotiatedthe acquisitionof the interiorsfromthe
Littlehousein 1971-72, andHeckscheroversawthe enormoustask
of dismantling and transporting this materialto New Yorkin 1972.
The complexjob of installing the Wrightroom and exhibitionhas
been supervisedby R.CraigMiller, who hasalsowrittenan introduc-
tory essayforthispublication. We are especiallypleasedto havehad
the participation of one of the leadingWrightscholars,EdgarKauf-
mann,jr.-the primaryauthorof thispublication anda manwhose
generosityhascontributed greatlyto the formationof ournineteenth-
centuryAmericandecorativearts collection.Amongthose in the
Museumwho havelentvaluableassistanceare ColtaIvesandDavid
Kiehl;JuliaMeech-Pekarik, who alsowrote the essayon Wrightand
Japaneseprintsin the followingpages;and the membersof the
Metropolitan's conservationdepartments,EzraMills,in particular.
Finallyit is mypleasureto acknowledgeSaulP SteinbergandReliance
Group Holdings,Inc.,withoutwhose enormouslygenerousand, I
shouldadd,timelyandthoughtful grantwe couldnot haveproceeded
withthe constructionof the room or the celebrationof FrankLloyd
Wrightthroughthe exhibitionandthis Bulletin.
PHILIPPE DE MONTEBELLO
Director
Insidefront cover: Portraitof FrankLloyd Wright. Platinumprint by
EugeneHutchinson,c. 1915
Fall1982
as a clothbound
available yearlyvolumesfromThe
reprintset or as individual
AyerCompany, Inc.,99 MainStreet,Salem,N.H.03079,or fromthe
Publishers,
Museum, Box700,MiddleVillage,N.Y.11379.Unlessotherwisenoted,photogra-
phybyMetropolitanMuseum Photograph Studio.GeneralManagerof Publications:
JoanHolt.Editorof this issue:Joanna
JohnP O'Neill.EditorinChiefof the Bulletin:
Ekman.Design:Betty Binns.
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ThisBulletin is the thirdin a seriesdevotedto a singleartistbutthe
firstof the groupto focuson an architect.Itis fittingthatits subject
shouldbe America'sforemostmasterof architecture, for no archi-
tect hascaptivated the Americanimagination likeFrankLloydWright.
Bornin 1867in Richland Center,Wisconsin,Wrightgrewup inan
Americastillvery muchinfluencedby the Jeffersonian idealof an
agrariansociety.In manyways he remainedthroughouthis life a
nineteenth-century man,for likeEmersonand Whitman,he hada
great love for nature. Hisabidingfeelingfor the landand his belief
in man'sneed for a directrelationship withnaturewere essentialto
his conceptof an "organicarchitecture"-whatWrightenvisioned
as an Americanarchitecturedistinctfrom the classicaland Renais-
sancetraditions. Hisantipathy towardEuropeandesignwas matched
by a love for non-Westernart, particularly that of Japan.
Wrightbegan his career in Chicagoin 1887,but hisrealarchitec-
turaleducationwas the five yearsspentwith LouisSullivan, whose
office he joinedas a draftsmanin 1888. In 1893,though,Wright
openedan independentpracticeandover the succeedingseventeen
yearswas knownas a risingyoungarchitectin Chicago.
In 1909Wrightleftfor a sojournin Europe,andit was duringthis
periodthatthe two famousWasmuthportfolioswere issued.The
first,printedin 1910,consistedof 100beautifullithographs; andthe
second,whichappearedin the followingyear,was illustrated with
photographs of Wright'sexecutedprojects.Theirpublication andan
accompanying exhibitionin BerlinbroughtWright'sworkto the at-
tentionof a youngergenerationof Europeandesignersand estab-
lishedhis placein the forefrontof the modernmovement.
On hisreturnto the UnitedStatesin 191I,Wrightwasan interna-
tionalfigure;but his real importancewas littlerecognizedin this
country.His controversialpersonallife-the breakupof his first
marriage; the sensationalmurderof MamahBorthwick, the woman
for whom he left his family;and his laterrelationships-madehis
positionuntenableinconservativeMidwestsociety;andthe ensuing
two decadeswere perhapsthe most difficultyearsin Wright'slife.
Partof thistime was spent on the West Coastand in Tokyowith
the constructionof the ImperialHotel(c. 1916-22). At home,the
economicconstraintsof the Depressioncompoundedhis profes-
sionalproblems,andfew of Wright'sprojectswere realizedduring
this period.
Bythe 1930s,however,Wright-then inhissixties-re-emerged
with a series of remarkablebuildingsand was once againan ac-
ceptedleaderinmodernarchitecture. Forthe nextquarter-century,
he wasto buildon an unprecedentedscale,untilhisdeathin 1959at
the age of ninety-two.Althoughhe enjoyedimmensefame in his
lateryears,Wrighthadfew distinguished followers.Hiswas a highly
individualgeniusthat provideda uniquesolutionfor eachclientand
site. Increasingly he also found himselfin open conflictwith Euro-
peandesignersfromthe Bauhaus-suchas WalterGropiusandLud-
wig Miesvan der Rohe,who had been influencedby Wrightsome
twenty-fiveyearsearlierandyet enjoyedconsiderable acclaimafter
theiremigrationto the UnitedStatesinthe 1930s.Mostperplexing
to Wrightmusthavebeen the factthatthe extremelytalentedgen-
erationof Americanarchitectsthat emerged after WorldWar II
largelyfollowedthis International Stylecurrent.To them, Wright's
INTRODUCTION
R. CRAIG MILLER
visionof a nativeAmericanarchitecture musthaveappearedeccentric,
if not downrightold-fashioned. Itis perhapsonlynow,whenwe talk
of Post-Modernism, a movementin strongreactionto the Interna-
tionalStyle,that Wright'swork fromthis laterperiodand histrue
geniuscan be appreciated.
The Metropolitan Museumof Art is now formingitscollectionof
modernAmericandesign,and the work of FrankLloydWrightis
centralto that effort.The AmericanWinghas installedon perma-
nentdisplaya magnificentlivingroomfromthe Francis W. Littlehouse
inWayzata,Minnesota (1912-14). This willbe the most contempo-
raryperiodroom in the Wing,whichoffersan ensembleof some
two-dozen roomsthattogetherrepresentthe historyof American
interiordesignfrom the late seventeenthto the earlytwentieth
century.Inaddition,over the lastfifteenyearsa selectivecollection
of architecturaland decorativedesignsby Wrighthas been assem-
bledthatwillformthe core of our collectionof modernAmerican
design.The majorpart of this materialwill be shownfor the first
time in a temporaryexhibitionscheduledto be displayedfrom
December3, 1982,to February27, 1983.
The Museum'srecognitionof Wright,however,has been some-
whatbelated.Whenthe Metropolitan Museumwasfoundedin 1870,
one of itsprimarymissionswasthe encouragement of contemporary
Americandesign.Unfortunately its effortswere initially confinedto
EastCoast artistssuchas LouisComfortTiffany.RichardBachex-
pandedthatvisionconsiderably witha remarkableseriesof shows
devotedto Americanindustrial designheldatthe Metropolitan inthe
secondquarterof the twentiethcentury.Wrightwas,infact,offered
the most prominentspaceinthe Museum's1929show TheArchitect
andIndustrial Artsbut,for whateverreason,did not participate.
InTheAmericanWing,aswell,the installation of the Wrightroom
andexhibitionsignifiesa shiftinthe scope of its collection.Fromits
openingin 1924,the Wing'scollectionwas essentiallydevoted to
handcrafted objectsdatingfrombefore 1830,whenindustrial manu-
facturebeganin this country.The landmarkexhibitionNineteenth-
CenturyAmerica, stagedin 1970to celebratethe Museum's centennial,
demonstrateda firmintentionon the partof the Museumto builda
greatpost-1830collection.The acquisition of the livingroom from
the Littlehousetwo years laterwas, in fact,the Wing'sfirstmajor
commitment to American ArtsandCraftsdesign,a reformmovement
at the turnof the centurydevotedto the revivalof the handicrafts.
Inthe ensuingdecade,however,TheAmericanWing'scollectionhas
grownsubstantially to includenot only handcrafted objectsrepre-
sentingallof the nineteenth-century revivalstylesbutalsooutstand-
ingexamplesof Americanindustrial design.Itwas,of course,Wright
himselfwho championedmass productionas earlyas 1901 in his
famouslecture"TheArt and Craftof the Machine," deliveredat
HullHouse in Chicago;and the majorityof the Wrightcollection
consistsappropriately of designsintendedfor massproduction.
The new AmericanWingopened in 1980withgreatlyexpanded
facilities
anda renewedvisionof its role. Inhislifetime,FrankLloyd
Wright vocalandoftencontroversial
was inhisviewsconcerning the
directionthatAmericanartandarchitecture shouldfollow.TheWright
designcollectionin The AmericanWingatteststo the continuing
power of hiswork to challengeour perceptionsof Americanart.
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 Jo alno!lsul
L061 'o0Te!)i p1 aN]le
qnlD jlnepa!3Jvq). oe)!iq) aq Xq paJosuods 'J^oMs,qB!JM pXol7>UDJjuo!!q!ixa aqLJOMa!A
 FRANK
LLOYD
WRIGHT'S
ARCHITECTURE
EXHIBITED
A COMMENTARY
The MetropolitanMuseumof Art isopeninga permanentinstalla-
tion of a large room designed by FrankLloydWright,the living
room from the 1912-14 Wayzata,Minnesota,countryhouse of
the FrancisW. Littlefamily.This notable recognitionof Wright's
geniusraisesquestions.What has been the record of exhibitions
of Wright'swork in art museumsand similarinstitutionsover the
years?And what did FrankLloydWrightthink of them? Such
exhibitionswere numerousand Wrightrecognizedtheir value;
wherever possiblehe preferredto arrangethem himself.Inthe
earlierdecadesof Wright'scareer-which extended over seventy
years, from 1889 to 1959-his exhibitiondesigns were dem-
onstrationsof his architecturalstyle, as survivingphotographs
reveal (see opposite). Later, Wright used another approach:
drawings,photographs,and models of his works were rather
casuallyassembled,suggestinga pell-mellof creativeactivity.
DuringWright'sworkinglifethere was scarcelya year when his
work was not being exhibited publicly-except the period of
1917-28, when he was working in Japan and the western
Americanstates.As a youngprofessionalhe welcomedopportuni-
ties as they came, but in maturityhe often refusedto joingroup
showings.Wright'sexhibitionswere accompaniedby wide publi-
cation in books and periodicals.The most recent and thorough
bibliography of Wrightlistssome fourteenhundreditemsthrough
1959 (as compared to over a thousand architecturalworks
designedby Wright,about four hundredof them actuallybuilt).
FrankLloydWrightbeganto practicearchitectureindependently
in Oak Park,Illinois,in 1893, and for the next twenty years the
Art Instituteof Chicagoexhibitedhis work regularly,though his
representationin different exhibitionsvaried from more than
thirtyitems to merely one. These occasionswere provided by
the ChicagoArchitecturalClub,whose annualshow at the Art
Institute,complete with catalogue, was an importantcultural
event in the city.Inthe years 1902, 1907,and 1913,Wrightwas
especiallyfeatured.Alwaysindependent,Wrightwas not a mem-
ber or even an associateof the club,but his relationshipwiththe
organizationwas one of mutualrespect and cooperation.There
is always discussion,when Wright'scareer is examined, about
the communityturningfrom him when his privatelife became
flamboyantlyunconventional,butthe roster of exhibitionshardly
supportsthis idea. In 1914,when MamahBorthwickwas mur-
dered and arson destroyed the house she and Wrightshared,
the Art Institutesurveyed his work of the years since his return
BY EDGARKAUFMANN,JR.
from Europe;and in 1916 the same museum placed on view
Wright'splansfor the great ImperialHotel in Tokyo.
Despite this long-lastingsupport,Wrighthad reservationscon-
cerningthe role of the Art Institute.In 1918he told members of
the ChicagoWomen's Aid:
we have...the bestlocated,largest, andmostsuccessful inpointof
attendance of anyinstitutionof artinAmerica....Butacademic centers
haveneverbeenthe lifeof artinanyindividual, or
city, nation. Original
impulses liveoutside,hostileto establishedorders.Institutionsarein
theirverynaturehostileto theseimpulses.... Anartinstitute shouldbe
noeditorof geniusinthespiritof connoisseur or collector.Itshouldbe
anopportunity, a staffinthe hand,a cloakforgeniusinthe bitter
wind....
Inthe years before 1925, Wrightformed such attitudes,which
were to dominate his later thinking,yet his need to have his
projectsseen and appreciatedwas strongerthan his pessimism
and he continuedto have work exhibited.PossiblyWrighthad
been encouraged by an exhibitionof his architectureheld in
Berlinin 1910or, more likely,1911-an exhibitionlinkedto the
portfoliosof drawingsand the book of photographsand plans
publishedin associationwith the firm of E.Wasmuthin that city.
Althoughrecords of the event were obliterated by war, it is
knownthat leadingyoungerGermanarchitects,LudwigMiesvan
der Rohe and WalterGropiusamong them, were considerably
affectedby the exhibition.Apparentlyittook placeafterWright's
departurefor the UnitedStates,and he may have been unaware
of its impact.However, newly discoveredcorrespondencewith
Wasmuth(now at the State Universityof New York,Buffalo,and
StanfordUniversity,Palo Alto, California)mightclarifythis issue
once these papers become availablefor study.
Accordingto recent research, while the ImperialHotel was
beingbuilt,from 1917to 1922,Wrightspent about halfhistime
inJapanand also beganto practicein California.When the Great
Depression prevailed,he returned to Wisconsin. In 1930 he
exhibitedand lecturedat the Art Instituteof Chicago,at Princeton
University,and at the ArchitecturalLeagueof New York.The
followingyear a large exhibitionof his architecturewas organ-
ized for travel through Europe. After appearing briefly that
Februaryin Seattleand Eugene,Oregon, it went firstto Amster-
dam andthence to four majorcitiesin Germany,two in Belgium,
Paris,Prague,and eventuallyTokyo before a finalpresentationin
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6
Milwaukee.Thistour abroadcertainlypleasedWrightmore than
his inclusionin the 1932 exhibitionorganizedby the Museumof
ModernArt in New Yorklaunchingthe idea of an International
Style in modern architecture.In that exhibition, Frank Lloyd
Wrightat the age of sixty-fivecould successfullychallengethe
younger professionaltalents.
In 1935 Wrightexhibited BroadacreCity, his concept of area
planningfor a reformed egalitariansociety; it was presented in
Rockefeller Center before going to Washington, D.C., and
Pittsburgh.The exhibitionsummed up ideas stimulatedby the
Depressionand encompasseda largenumberof projectsWright
had elaboratedover the years. BroadacreCity was at once the
closingepisode of the leanyearswhen Wrighthadto depend on
lecturingand writing,with almost no opportunityto build,and
the prologue to his resurgence in what has been called Frank
LloydWright'ssecond career.
Four great buildingsopened the new chapter in Wright's
productivity:Fallingwater (1936-39); the S. C. Johnsonand Son
AdministrationBuilding(1936-39); the Hannahexagonalhouse
(1937);anda splendidlyeconomicalhousefor the HerbertJacobses
(1937). Itwas Fallingwater that was first exhibited,in temporary
quartersof the Museumof ModernArt. Allfour structureswere
featured in the January1938 issue of the Architectural Forum,
which heraldedWright'seloquent lectures in Londonthe next
year, when the ArchitecturalAssociation displayedhis works.
DuringWorld War IIthe Royal Instituteof BritishArchitects
awardedWrighttheir gold medal. Inthe UnitedStates, the for-
ties opened with a Wrightexhibitionat the Instituteof Modern
Art in Boston.Laterinthe year the Museumof ModernArt held
a one-man show of hiswork that includeda model house in the
museum garden. Three important books resulted from this
event: FrankLloydWrighton Architecture,devoted to extracts
from his writings over the years; Wright'sAn Autobiography
(firstpublishedin 1932);and In the Natureof Materials,the basic
record of FrankLloydWright'sbuildingsand projectsto 1942.
Withthese exhibitionsand publicationsillustrating Wright'sgenius,
his positionwas no longer in shadow; he was seen as a major,
active force in creative architecture.
In 1943the FoggArt Museumat HarvardUniversitydisplayed
Wright'swork, as it had a decade earlierwhen it exhibitedthe
1932 Museumof ModernArt show. In 1945the latterinstitution
includedhis work in an exhibitiondevoted to smallhouses and
in 1946displayeda model of Wright'sprojectfor a luxuryhouse
in Redding,Connecticut.A Museum of Modern Art show of
bridges that began its travels in 1948 also includeda design
by Wright.
The last decade of Wright'slife began with the greatest of his
exhibitions,SixtyYearsof LivingArchitecture,organized by the
Philadelphia architectOscar Stonorow.Thistestimonyof interna-
tionalesteem for Wrightwas seen in Philadelphia before open-
ing in Europe at the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence.Thereafter it
proceeded to Zurich,Paris,Munich,Rotterdam,and Berlin.By
autumnof 1952 it traveled to Mexico City.A year later it was
refreshedfor a grandshowingon the futuresiteof the Guggenheim
Museum in New York, and again a model house was built in
conjunctionwiththe pictorialdisplay.In 1953a smallerexhibition
was held in New York at the National Instituteof Arts and
Letters (as it was then called),on which occasion Wrightwas
awardeda gold medal.SixtyYearsof Living Architectureunderwent
severaladaptationsand appeared in LosAngeles in 1954.Shows
were arrangedthat year in Holland,Michigan, and in Philadelphia
the
(TempleUniversity); University of Wisconsin mounteda show
in Madisonin 1955.These lesser exhibitionswere probablyheld
in relationto talksdeliveredby Wright.In 1956Chicagoofficially
celebrated"FrankLloydWrightDay,"and SixtyYears-enlarged
by the extraordinaryproject that Wright had evolved for a
mile-highskyscraper-appeared in that city. The Washington,
D.C., Instituteof Contemporary Art showed architectureby
Wrightin 1957,and he contributedworks inthe next two years
to two exhibitionsin New York-one celebratingthe United
Nationsandthe other,entitledFormGiversat Mid-Century, heldat
The Metropolitan Museumof Art.The latterwas organizedby Time
magazineand circulatedby the AmericanFederationof Arts in
1959,the year of Wright'sdeath. Sincethen, numerousexhibi-
tions of his architecturehave been held, some of them major
efforts,but not until1975 did a museuminstalla Wrightinterior.
At that time the Allentown(Pennsylvania) Art Museumadapted
a small libraryto its needs. This room was acquired from
extensive materialpurchasedby The MetropolitanMuseumof
Art in 1972 when the FrancisW. Littlehouse was demolished.
The long annalsof FrankLloydWright'sarchitecturalexhibi-
tions show that the great reputationthat accrued justlyto the
architectwas notablyabetted by museumactivities.Thisrecogni-
tion now is continued and broadened as his genius is amply
represented by the MetropolitanMuseum'slarge collection of
objects designed by Wright,currentlyon exhibition,and by the
permanentdisplayof the Littlehouse livingroom-a fittingcap
to the long relationshipbetween FrankLloydWrightand muse-
ums throughoutthe world.
 I. HELLER HOUSE -I

In1897Wrightbuiltan elaboratehouse for the Hellerfamilyof Chicagoon a narrow

lot overlookingLakeMichigan. The exterior ornamentationbeganaroundthe main
entrance, was continued at second-floor windowframes,and emphasizedat belve-
deres on top. ThisornamentindicatedWright'sfascinationwiththe ideasof Louis
Sullivan,whose office he had leftfour yearsearlier.At thattime Sullivanhadstartedto
design masterworkof Americanarchitecture,the GuarantyBuilding
a at Buffalo.
assistant,G. G. Elmslie,who detailedthe elaborateouter ornamentof the
Sullivan's
Guaranty,continuedto remaina friendand collaboratorof FrankLloydWright.Thus
Wrightwas familiarwiththe Guarantydesigns.

I.Heller house, Chicago,Illinois(1897).

Ip
8

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Top and left:Perspectiveand ground planof Hellerhouse from Wasmuthportfolio (1910).

Right:Detail of Joseph Husser house, Chicago,Illinois(1899).
 9

The capitalmolded in plasterof parisfromthe second floor of the Heller

house (below) shows how Wrightreinterpretedone of the mainthemes of
the Guarantyornament,a tauttriangularelement set againstlushfoliage.In
the GuarantyBuilding, thisdevice was used flatly,as terracottacladdingfor
steel uprights(right).The Hellercapital,on the contrary,usedthe theme inthe
roundandwith differentlyconceivedcontrastbetween angularity and curves.
Here the triangularelement encapsulatednascentfoliage,whichburstripely
at the crown of the capitaland creptthroughthe intersticesof a containing
harness.Wrightwas demonstratinga new, more unitaryreadingof the
Buffalotheme. Suchrereadingswere soon abandonedby Wright,whose
individualmannerbecame matureas the twentiethcenturyopened. The
Hellerhouse capitalis a memorabledocumentof the developmentof
Americanarchitectural expression.

Terracotta
Below:CapitalfromHellerhouse, 1897.Right: for steelup-
cladding
rights,Guaranty New
Buffalo,
Building, York.
10

Wright'sarchitecturalcareer beganinearnestwhen he builta modest

home for himselfand hisfamilyinOak Park,Illinois,in 1889.By 1895 he
was enlargingitwitha studioand other adjuncts;manyof hisnew concepts
were putto the test there. Earlyphotographsshow a smallclerestoried
octagonused as libraryand conference room (right).
Suchphotographsrevealthat fromthe very beginning,Wrightused
typicalforms of furnitureand of houses but almostnever repeatedthem

Entry,lookingtoward the loggia,FrankLloydWrightstudio, Oak Park,Illinois(1895).

 -
OAK PARK STUDIO

exactly.Wrightdid makethem more severe or elaborateto suitthe

situation.Wright'searlysevere furniture,whichmay be seen in hishome
andstudioat Oak Parkto thisday,owed a good dealto a largetapestry-
designedby EdwardBurne-Jonesinthe early 1890s andwoven by William
Morris'sfirm-that was reproducedin TheStudioin 1894. Thistapestry
showed simplewood chairsof pure shapes.Suchneo-Gothicinfluences
canbe seen inthe armchairat the Oak Parkstudio( below, lower right).

FrankLloydWrightstudio,Oak Park.Right:
Below:Octagonallibrary, Tapestry
designedby Edward wovenby Morris& Co.
Burne-Jones,
12

''4ba; ?--'
-p,
;?-iP 'C?b,i;L ?.-?3S?_qy_ ?- `qqaic.?;? ';7$

-..4
~
, , .
3---~---- -I

/ ,
 B. H. BRADLEY HOUSE D

The B. H. Bradleyhouse of 1900(upperleft),one of

two in Kankakee,Illinois,
thatwere designedby
Wright and built
that year for brothers-in-law,was
detailed.
beautifully The bay window inthe living
room (see rightand lower left)showed a suburban
gardenthrougha patternechoingthe structureof
the house.The livingroom used comfortableseating
of Wright'sseveretype anda largetablewithcabinets
below;despiteslightmoldingsat the foot, this is a
directprototypefor the grandtable inthe Little
house livingroom.
The Bradleyhouse was an example of one of Frank
LloydWright'smost impressiveplans,publishedin
more matureform as "ASmallHouse with 'Lotsof
Roomin It'"inthe July1901issueof the Ladies'Home
journal.Inthe magazineWrightfullyand concisely
presentedhisdesignof a nuclearchimneymass
anchoringfreelyextended wingsfor entry,living,
dining,andservices-one of the clearlyoriginal
ideasof modernarchitecture,based on human
enjoymentfar more thanon formalaesthetics.

B.H.Bradley
Opposite,above:Exterior, house,Kankakee,
(1900);below: livingroom, Bradleyhouse,from
Illinois
Wasmuthportfolio(1910). Right:Windowfrom living
house.
room,Bradley
 I

I
a

1;
I
I
i
i
I
 WARD W. WILLITS HOUSE -I

The WardW. Willitshouse of 1902sits ina grove of slender

trees in HighlandPark,Illinois,lookingmuchas it does inthe
lithographof 1910shown here. Itsnear-symmetryand clear
forms in harmonywiththe settinghave madethisa favorite
amongthe earlyWrightresidences.Itis an extended version
of the "SmallHouse with 'Lotsof Room in It'"justmentioned.
However commodiousand restful,the Willitshouse lacksthe
concisenessof its model andthe wallsand spacesare lax,but
muchaboutWright'sideascan be learnedfrom it.The
frameworkexpressed on itsexterior is merelya token of
true structure,yet it makesa convincingstatement.The
elementsemphasizedare rigorouslyplainand no effort is
madeto evoke handicraft: this is machinedcarpentry.The
house hasan unassumingsobriety,an affirmationof the
avowed Anglo-Americanidealsof its day.Inside,the Willits
house maintainedthe same character.

Ground plan and perspective,Ward W. Willitshouse, Highland

Park,Illinois(1902), from Wasmuthportfolio(1910).
16
 17

The high-backeddiningchair(left)was one of Wright'sreliabletypes, and here it is

presentedina sturdy,austereversion.The meaningof these chairsis not discoverablein
a singleexample,for they were meantto performa specialduty insets. Gatheredaround
the diningtable so thatthe outer sides of the highbackswere reiterated,they formed an
enclosurethat createda specialspace for the socialceremonyof eating.Hence,the
outer backsare somewhatcurved,whilethe frontsare strictlyrectangularand
utilitarian.
Wrightdid not conceive of the diningtable as a locusfor familygathering,as
sometimesclaimed;he haswrittenabout hislackof familyfeeling,rooted no doubt in
hisupbringing. Rather,hisfurnitureand hisarchitecturewere meantto serve the dignityof
daily human procedures.The Willitsdiningchairs,in harmonywiththe architecture
aroundthem, achievedthisaim.

Opposite:SidechairfromWillitshousediningroom.Below:Diningroom,Willitshouse.
 { _

18

The LarkinCompanyAdministrationBuildingat Buffalo(1904)was one of

Wright'smost successfuland originalworks,thanksin partto enlightened
patronage.The officialsof the Larkinmail-orderenterprisemade unusual
butwell-reasoneddemandsand allowedtheirarchitecta free handin

enterprisedepended on exact and orderlyrecords,so thatfilingcabinets

were a mainconsideration.The clericalstaffworked at table surfaces
=Si ' ; X'^:; adjustedto variousoperationsand businessmachines;these tableswere
^^fl^B'^^Cy ^I^^^MlJI-
\ _= n ri rf"*'.
>11^ ^ I *
-X: assembled from standardizedparts.Workerssat on adjustablechairs
'^^^^^^1. L
that would swingintothe knee spacewhen not inuse, allowing
"E speedy nightcleaning.Other metalchairs(see rightand p.20) served
- : executivesandvisitors.The executive deskswere groupedat ground
[:1:| _i level,accessibleto the public,whileclericaldepartmentswere distributed
on the balconies. House telephones made communicationeasy.
^
*'
,xi*
"Y N\: I S^ - Furthermore,workers hada restaurantand rest areasnearthe
n I:i O
?S_^ :.; : greenhouseat the top. The interiorwas served by washed andfiltered
"
: L^I ;
~air, f\ s^ e^^and largesurfaceswere made desound-absorbent;employees'lockers
andwashroomswere carefullyequipped.Sincethe buildingwas located
tI 11
1 \j N^,g ir^lBfl 3' j: at the head of the Larkinwarehouses,served by rail,the districtwas grimy
^ _ ji |i and noisy;the mainbuildingoffered a largerangeof practicaland pleasant
,- f [ - servicesinsideitsshell.Probablythiswas the most carefullyand consid-
a> _ ^
1rpris
--:" te o : e nped plannedworkingenvironmentto be foundanywhereinthe first
deerately
::
er decade of thiscentury.The exterior was equallyunprecedented.
-:I: w
r ^i,^ When it was newly built,architectural experts found the Larkinbuilding
> r| /i "
! i brutaland ugly,yet today its demolitionat mid-centuryseems a criticalloss
e Lji j ii
. adjutedfor the historyof architectureand Americanbusiness.Allthat surviveare
;-?w
] | cuivedrawings,
e x photographs,writtendescriptions,and,most important,a few
_
a_~ j^~lve a1v 1c pieces of furniture.

?-b .L,
I I

o . 1If
-Jrs ia tl CompanyAdministration
Left:Interiorcourt,Larkin Building, New York
Buffalo,
I
kTUhe 1at e
thi gr
tp (1904),detailfromWasmuthportfolio(1910).Below:Exterior,Larkin
building.
a af i i Opposite:Armchair fromLarkin
building.
LARKIN COMPANY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING D
20

The two metalchairsat the MetropolitanMuseumshow the rangeof those produced;

the swivelchair(p. 19)served executivesandwas used inthe boardroom,whilethe side
chair(below) was merelya supplement.Severalintermediarymodelsare known.The
swivelchairproved,on carefulexamination,to have been paintedintwo relatedtones.
Littlehas been writtenabout metalfurniture,and it is encouragingthatthe Museum
acquiredexamplesby FrankLloydWrightdatingfrom severalperiods.As evidence
is assembledit shouldbe possibleto understandthe developmentof thisgenusof
industrialproduct.
The wood side chair(right),likethe Willitsdiningchair,representsa type often variedby
Wright.The slantedboard,runthroughthe whole structure,not onlyserves as a backrest
butalso providesrigidity,resistingstrainscommonlyplacedon chairsin publicuse. The
full-lengthdiagonalbrace had been a featureof Art Nouveauchairsproducedon the
Continentandwas well knownbefore 1904.Old photographsshow the slant-backmodel
scatteredthroughthe Larkinoffices.
Itis possiblethatthe wood chairhad been producedinquantitybefore the decisionwas
madeto adopt steel. Studiesof Larkindocumentsmayintime answersuchsmallpuzzles,
andgreaterones.

Below:SteelsidechairfromLarkin Opposite:Wood sidechairfromLarkin

building. building.
21
 "
0
~ ?~t ,~ .i'........X v
 D. D. MARTIN HOUSE D

Whilethe Larkinbuildingwas underway D. D.

Martin,one of the principalofficersof the Larkin
Company,was buildinghisown residencetoWright's
design.Thishouse was one of Wright'sfinest
efforts,but seriousdamagesowingto neglectand
changehave reduced itto a token of itsoriginal
power. One designdevice used inthe Martin
house was a series of multiplepiers,regularly
spaced.Thisunusualclusteringof supportsmade it
difficultfor the chimneymassto be presented in
the interiorwithoutconfusingthe composition.
Wrightdecidedto sheathethe chimneyina glass
mosaic(left,below) while detailingfloor and
ceilingso thatthe livingroom and entrance
halloverlapped,andthe chimneystood as an iso-
lated,elegantpierwithinthe enlargedboundaries.
The glassmosaicof softlytintedwistariavines in
bloom againsta gold mosaicbackgroundgleamed
inthe shiftinglightand immediatelyliftedthe
rathersolemn,squatspaces intoa galaatmosphere.
The device had been used by Wrightbefore, but
less boldly:wrappingmosaicaroundfour faces
of a chimneyintroduceda strangeelement inthe
very heartof the house. The mosaicvanished
longago;only photographsand some sketches
survive.Photographsindicatethatthe mosaichad
yet no doubt the
littleof Wright'sdraftsmanship,
resultwas carefullysupervisedby him.The drawing
held bythe Metropolitan(left,above) mightwell be
by Wright,a tentativeguidefor the craftsman.
Wrightrarelyused anythingso overtlydecorative
in lateryears.

D. D. Martinhouse,Buffalo,New York( 1904).Oppo-

sitepage,left:Serviceentrancefromdriveway; upper
right:gardenelevationwithporch;lowerright:
conservatory. Thispage,below:Entrance hall,looking
towardconservatory; above:designfora wistaria
mosaicforchimneybreast.
24

In 1912,on the Avery Coonley estate in Riverside,

Wrightbuiltfor Mrs.Coonley a smallplayhouse
Illinois,
for neighborhoodchildren,where some of JohnDewey's
theories of educationthroughexperience could be
explored.Wrightconsideredthe residenceof 1908his
best earlyhouse.The Coonleys'renewed patronage
was especiallywelcome to Wright,for he foundfew
clientsfollowinghisopen rejectionin 1910of the
marriagevows infavorof free love.
Some fiftyyears later,afterthe estate had passed into
new handsand was beingsplitintosmallerdwellings,
the decoratedwindows-including those inthe play-
house-were putupfor sale.The Metropolitan Museum
acquireda largetriptychof windows(right)fromthe
smallbuilding,preservingit as a unit.Inthe original
setting(left)it was surroundedby smallercolorful
windowssome distanceaway,but it was clearlycon-
ceived as a main,separatefeature.

Wright'sskillindecorativecompositionwas exceptional,
and inwindowswith glassof translucentcolors held in
a structureof thinmetaldividers(cames)he foundan
agreeablemedium.The Coonleytriptychis generally
consideredthe best of Wright'scolored windows-
beautifulas manyothers are. The designis an early
example inWesternart of geometrical,nonrepresenta-
tionalcomposition,despite the smallvariationon the
theme of the flagof the UnitedStates(itselfgeometrical)
foundon one panel.The Coonley trio, likemost
Wrightornamentedwindows,shows a concentration
of detailat the top, ensuringa transitionbetween the
spanninglintelandthe field of light.The other edges
are softened by more open designs.Itis a featureof
the triptychthatthe largecirclesthat seem to rise like
children'sballoonsare not randomlydistributedas their
colorssuggest,but are arrangedin strictsymmetry
acrossthe three units.

Left:Interior,Avery Coonley Playhouse,Riverside,Illinois

(1912).Opposite:WindowtriptychfromCoonleyPlayhouse.
 AVERY COONLEY PLAYHOUSE D

ri M]EX 11

- -
r J

I..vII JD-

~~ ~ ~ ~~~_
1 1

.~
26
 FRANCIS W. LITTLE HOUSE D

Fiveyearsafteracquiringthe Coonley windowsThe MetropolitanMuseumof Art was

ableto buy muchof the interiorfittingsandfurnitureof the countryhouse Wrighthad
builtfor Mr.and Mrs.FrancisW. LittleinWayzata,Minnesota,outside Minneapolis.
The livingroom, at thattime one of the largestWrighthad built,is now installedinThe
AmericanWingof the Museumand furnishedmuchas it was when the Littlesused it.
Other elementswere sold to museumsin Minneapolis; Allentown,Pennsylvania;
Dallas;and Karlsruhe,Germany;so the FrancisLittlehouse willpresentWright'swork
to largenumbersof people over the years.Itis worthwhilereviewingthe story of the
Littlesand Wright,whichallowsthe house to be better appreciated.
The Littleswere both midwesterners,energetic,able,and prosperous;they were
earlymembersof the Art Instituteof Chicago.Mrs.Littlehadfinishedher musical
trainingat Cologne,where she was an outstandingstudent,and musicremainedan
importantpartof her socialandfamilyactivities.The Littlescame to Wrightto have
himdesigntheir home when they livedin Peoria,in 1903,andwhen they moved five
years laterhe was againtheirchoice of architectfor a countryhouse.The Peoria
house was roomy,ratherformal,and central-hailed, barelydepartingfrom bilateral
symmetryyet overtly modern in its generaltone. The countryhouse on Lake
Minnetonkawas more extended and casual,withwide views over the lakeon one side
andtree-strewn knollson the other.
When the Littlesturnedto Wrightthe second time,they became involvedwith his
rapidlychangingpersonaland professionallife.They were amongthe contributors
who helped himcreatethe handsomeWasmuthportfolios.They also were willing
to postponetheir buildingplanswhileWrightfound hisway throughthe entangle-
mentsof maritalseparationanda new relationship.Meanwhile,at the lake,the Littles
livedintemporaryboard-and-battenquartersthatWrighthadprobablysketched.

Francis
W. Littlehouse,Wayzata,Minnesota Opposite,above:
(1912-14). Stereographs.
Entrance Above:Mrs.Littleat entrance.
side;below:viewedfromLakeMinnetonka.
28

Itwas four years before the permanentstructurewas begun,andtwo more untilit was habitable.
Inthisspanof time Wrightdeveloped new horizonsfor hisart as well as for hisprivatelife.The
Littles,too, were changing;with increasedinfluenceand ebbinghealthMr.Littlebecame more
demanding,an attitudesharedby hiswife. Wright'sinitialproposalswere somewhatgrandand
impractical. When Wrightreturnedfrom Europe,he andthe Littlesfounddifficultyinworking
together, which is reflected intheir correspondence.Itis clearthatWrightfelt a deep obligationto
givethe Littles
what they desired,but he foundthem unresponsiveto hisdevelopingdesign.
They expected the Wrightmannerof the previousdecade andwere unreadyfor important
aspectsof hisnew proposals.Wrightcompromisedas best he could,butsome degree of
spontaneityinevitablywas sacrificed.Thiscan be noticedinthe bigroom. Forty-eightfeet and nine
and one-halfinchesin length,it was intendedto serve not onlyas a familylivingroom, but also as a
concert chamber.The earlydrawingsfor this room show the ceilingtwo feet lower,whichsurely
would havecreatedan impressiondifferentfromthe one that is now conveyed.Wrightis saidto
haveclaimedthatthe changewas madeto please Mrs.Little.Ifso, was she seekinggrandeuror
some idealof acoustics?Wright,afterall,had been schooled by the Americanmasterof acoustics,
DankmarAdler,Sullivan's partner.Nor, Wrightis quoted as saying,would Mrs.Littleaccept his
designfor the grand-pianocase;the drawingsshow what surelywould have been the most
handsomepianoof the era.
Mr.Little'sobjectionsas knownfrom correspondencewere centered on the designsfor or-
namentalglass.He likedneitherthe rectangularity and restraintof the patternproposed nor the
green color prominent in it. a
Finally, nearlycolorlesswindow andglass-doordesign(see p. 35)
was used that recallstrusswork.The ceilinglightfixturesinthe mainroom are masterworksof
Wright'sglassdesign,more constrainedbutas beautifulas the Coonley playhousewindows.The
unusuallybold wood framingof the ceilinglightsmightbe a reactionto raisingthem higherthan
firstintended.

Below:Windowsfrom Littlelivingroom.Opposite,below:Furniture
planfor Littlehouse;
above:livingroom,Littlehouse.
 29

TAM*,
nTh2,[TJ?:
[ S-9""~
'~C,
i-Mi.
.t,-I1TE' 'INC"
-',QIT L' o,
HC!'IC.QUAL"')
Q ;r- "'l U
ic ff!HGL-rplAln:
CEe3rc
rlH LLrY??P wRInIT AlITr.'CTr'"
'M '
30

The Littlesfurnishedthe great room not as Wrightplanned,butwitha mixtureof

tables,chairs,and lamps,some made expresslyfor the space andsome reusedfrom
the Wrighthouse of 1903.Certainolder pieces seem to have been alteredand
refinished.A speciallydesignedfloor never was executed. Ina very largespace like
the Littlelivingroom,Wrightwas readyto designfurniturewithlargeelementsto suit.

WalllampfromLittlelivingroom.
Left:PlantstandfromLittlelivingroom.Right:
Opposite:Armchair fromLittlelivingroom.
32

The printtable shown on these pagesfolds up intoa slimbut stablecontainerfor

large,valuableprints,drawings,or other works of art.Besidesensuringsafe
storage,sucha unit-often calleda portfoliostand-kept unwieldycontentsat a
convenientheightand,when opened, provideda generoussurfaceon which
documentscould be spreadout. Devisedfor people of meansand cultivation, the
printtable was a signof status.

PrinttablefromLittlelivingroom.
 33

The Littles'printtable was probablynot made for the livingroom of the house on
LakeMinnetonka; itsdetailssuggestit was designedfor the house Wrighthadbuilt
earlierfor the same family.However, photographsof the laterinteriorshow the
tablenextto one of the extended windowseats(see p. 29).Thetable'sstrongvertical
spineand broadsurfaceaccentedthe great horizontalsof the architecture.Wright's
bold,smoothlymachinedelementswere expertlycombinedinthisexceptionaland
functionalpiece of furniture.
34

The Museumowns sketchesby Wrightof chairs,ornamentedwindows,andsimilar

supplementsto architecture.These drawingshelpto documentthe facilitywithwhichhe
work.
producedthe finishingtouches for an architectural
A heavyarmchairshownhere resemblesone usedinthe Littlehouselivingroom(see p. 31),
yet it is more carefullypartitionedintosmallelementsand uses contrastsof grainingand
openwork,indicatingmore opulentsurroundings. The backof thischairshows a central
divisionthatwould have been echoed in other plannedfor the same space.
furnishings
A similardivisioncan be seen ina pencilsketchshown on the opposite page(center,
below).The three pencildrawingsdepend on refinedcomplexity,no doubt
derivedfromthe studyof grassesandflowers;thiscontrastswiththe bold, limited
geometryof the designof the Littlehouse window(opposite,left).Wright'suse of
colored glasswas noticeablydifferentfromthatof most stainedglassof the era before
the FirstWorldWar.The leadcamesthat heldstainedglasswere, as a rule,broadand
Wrightpreferreda patentsystemcalledelectroglazingthat used neat,straight
curvilinear.
zinccames.Thistechniquewas well suitedto the abstractionof naturalformsthat he
generallypreferredto realisticrepresentation.Wrightalso used sharpand clearcolors,
avoidinga naturalistic
palette.

Detail,sideandrearviewof a loungechair.
35
36
 MIDWAY GARDENS D

As the commissionfor the Littlehouse was drawingto an end, Wrightwas

a greathotelfor central
fortunateto be invitedto designquitedifferentbuildings,
Tokyo(see pp. 38-39), which took shapeslowly,and a concert restauranton
Continentallinesfor Chicago.MidwayGardens,the restaurantcomplex on the site
of the formerworld's-fairmidway,gave Wrighta maximumof independencein
decorativeembellishment.Large,fullyabstractmuralscarriedthe spiritof the
Coonleytriptychintoa new realm,and semiabstractfigures(right)were cast in
replicasand used throughoutthe interiorsandterraces.
Wrightwas assistedin modelingthese figuresby Alfonsolanelli;the statuesrecall
similarworks made earlierin Europethatwere reproducedinGermanart
periodicalsprobablyseen by Wright.He mighthaveviewed suchfigureswhile
travelingabroadin 1910.Hisapproachto metalfurniturefor MidwayGardenswas
more original.These pieces were distinctin purposeand characterfromthe Larkin
ones. Wrighttook this new departure,it seems, fromthe then ubiquitoussoda-
parlorwire chairsandtables.He founda gracefulway to use thistechnique,
but unfortunatelyhisdesignswere never produced.

Opposite:Drawingof interior,MidwayGardens,Chicago,Illinois
(1914).
Below:Streetfront,MidwayGardens.Right:SpritefromMidwayGardens. I
38

The ImperialHotel inTokyowas a most interestingbuilding,in both appearanceand

weakened by
structure,yet it existed onlya briefforty-fiveyears.Eventually,
bombardmentand neglectand locatedon an importantsite inan expandingmetropolis,
itwas demolishedin 1967,ironicallymarkingthe architect'scentennial.Likethe loss of
the Larkinbuilding,thiscreateda majorgap inthe evidenceof Wright'screativity.A
minorfragmentof the hotel has been re-erected at MeijiParkinTokyo,a curiosity
more thana preservation.

Left:Dinnerplateand saladplatefromdinnerservicedesignedc. 1922 by FrankLloyd

Wrightfor Imperial SidechairfromImperial
Hotel,Tokyo(c. 1916-22).Right: Hotel.
 IMPERIAL HOTEL D

Inisolation,a side chairfrom the hotel now inthe MetropolitanMuseumcollection

(left)seems very odd. Photographicrecordsshow thatthe eccentricityserved a
purpose-the festiveelaborationof a promenadeopeningon rooms availablefor
entertainment,a "peacockalley"of the Orient(see below).A similarchairfromthe
ImperialHotel inthe Museum'scollectionoriginallyhadcaningand has been restored;
it isthe onlysuchexample knownto remainafterthe destructionof the hotel.

Promenade,ImperialHotel.
S. C. JOHNSON AND SON ADMINISTRATION BUILDING E

From 1936to 1939S. C. Johnsonand Son built

an administrative center in Racine,Wisconsin,
designedby Wright.Itwas quicklyrecognized
as one of the beaconssignalingthe resurgence
of hisarchitectural geniusafter longyears of
enforcedinactivity. No buildingas grandlycoher-
ent as this had been designedsincethat of the
LarkinCompany.Instructureand in concept
the Johnsonbuildinginfactoutstrippedthe
Larkin,and manyconsiderit more beautifulas
well. Stillin use (withsome substitutionsof
elements),it standsas a monumentof Ameri-
can enterprise,bold yet not bombastic.

S.C.JohnsonandSonAdminis-
Opposite:Interior,
trationBuilding,
Racine,Wisconsin(1936-39). Left,
above:Entrance,S. C. Johnsonbuilding.

Detail,left:Pivotingstoragedrawersof desk
I
I0Mlll a~s~fromJohnsonbuilding (see pp. 42-43).
42
 43

The JohnsonWax building,likethe

Larkin,was plannedlargelyfor clerical
activity;it,too, was furnishedwith
steel desks and chairsdesignedby the
architect.These are more elegant
thanthose of 1904,and it is instructive
to comparethe two groupsof furni-
ture similarinfunctionand material
yet diversein character.The detailing
of the Johnsonfurnitureis closely
relatedto that of the interiorof the
buildingandthe ensemble is more
meaningful thanany portionof it, but
the furniturecan standby itselfwith-
out apology.Specialfeatures,suchas
the pivotingchairbackandthe pivoting
storagedrawers(see p. 41), are
curious.What makesthese objects
admirableistheir airof neat efficiency
and spare strength,andthe warm
coloringrarelyintroducedintothe
work environment.

fromJohnsonbuilding.
Deskandarmchair
44
 AULDBRASS PLANTATION D

The buildingsat AuldbrassPlantationinYemassee,SouthCarolina,were erected for Leigh

Stevensbeginningin 1940,althoughnot everythingdesignedwas realized.Whilethe
plantation,shelteredunderrichvegetation,appearedas a poetic idyll,it was a productive
enterprise.The buildingswere sheathedaroundtriangular wood bracing;the only regular
surfacewas the floor, and even that in planwas angledthroughthe incidentsof terrain.
At Yemassee,deep inthe country,onlyelementaryfurnishings would be suitable,and
suchinfact were designedin plywood(see below). The anglesof the furnitureseem
willfulwhen removed from the architecture,butthey broughtthese articlesintoaccord
withthe characterof Auldbrass.

Opposite:Planof Auldbrass Yemassee,SouthCarolina

Plantation, (1940).Below:Sidechair,two
end tables,andsideboardfromAuldbrass
triangular Plantation.
46

In1953Wrightbuilta tower for the H. C. PriceCompanyof Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Itwas based on a proposalof 1929for apartmentsin New YorkCity:a nexus
of verticaland horizontalreinforced-concreteslabs,anchoredfirmlyinthe ground
and enclosed inglassand sheet copper.Wrightdesignedseveralalternative
variantsof the scheme before and even afterthe PriceTower was built.There, both
officesand dwellingswere provided.H. C. Price'sown officewas housedat the top,
and specialfurniturewas createdfor hisrooms andterraces,allof it in metal.These
furnituredesignsare less felicitousthanthose Wrightdevisedfor earlierbusiness
buildings;the chair(right)infact resemblesthatfromthe ImperialHotel, but here
the crisp,angularforms are relatedto the crimpedmetalof the curtainwalls.
The PriceTower is a latefloweringof an earlieridea,and itscast-aluminumfurniture
shows a freshapproachto the material.

Left:PriceTower,Bartlesville, (1953-56). Right:Apartmentin PriceTower.

Oklahoma
Opposite:Armchair
fromPriceTower.
PRICE TOWER n
48

MonnosukeIIintheShibaraku
Shunko,Ichikawa Role.
 FRANKLLOYDWRIGHT
AND JAPANESE
Private collectors in Chicago, Boston, and New York spent
fortunesamassingJapaneseprintsduringthe firsttwo decades of
this century,and FrankLloydWrightwas among the firstto be
smittenby the beautyof these works. He saidhe was "enslaved"
by prints"becauseit is no secret that the printschoose whom
they love and there is then no salvationbut surrender."It is also
no secret that they interested Wrightas much for their mone-
tary as for their aestheticvalue. His sale of nearlyfour hundred
Japaneseprintsto the MetropolitanMuseumbetween 1918and
1922 and the accompanyingcorrespondence newly discovered
inthe Museumarchivesreveal both the rewardsand painof his
career as a printdealer.
Wright,a championof democraticart,greatlyadmiredukiyo-e
(literally"picturesof the floatingworld"),mass-producedcolored
woodcuts with popularthemes that appealed primarilyto the
lower strata of society, especiallytownsmen, in the growing
metropolis of Edo (modern Tokyo) duringthe eighteenthand
nineteenthcenturies.In his autobiographyhe recalledthat
theyearsatthe OakPark[Illinois]
during workshop, Japanese
had
prints intrigued meandtaughtme much.Theelimination of
the insignificant,
a processof simplification
inartinwhichIwas
myselfalreadyengaged,beginning withmytwenty-thirdyear,
foundmuchcollateral evidenceinthe print.AndeversinceI
discovered the printJapanhasappealedto measthe most
romantic, artistic,
nature-inspiredcountryonthe earth....
IfJapanese printswereto be deductedfrommyeducation I
don'tknowwhatdirection thewholemighthavetaken.
The printsthat Wrightoffered the Metropolitan,and those he
extolsabove allothers inhiswriting,are predominantly of two cat-
egories, namely Kabukiactor prints by the Katsukawaartists
Shunsho(1726-1792) and his pupilsShunko(1743-1812) and
Shun'ei(1768-1819), and landscapesby Hiroshige(1797-1858).
He admiredthe actor prints as virile images in which the full
force of the art was shown most surely.He boasted that almost
all the actor printsin any of the collectionsof the world were
once his-at one time he owned 1,100Katsukawa school hoso-e,
prints of smallsize in a narrow, verticalformat. He was a great
theater buffand claimedthatto himthese printsrepresentedthe
entire historyof the Japanesestage. It is apparentalso that the
actors' robes create strong rectilinearand curvilineardesigns
enrichedby the tension of bold ornamentalpatternsthat bear a
markedresemblanceto Wright'sown aestheticvocabulary.The
PRINTS
JULIAMEECH-PEKARIK
dominantand greatlyenlargedmotif of multiplesquaresat the
center of the rugs in the ImperialHotel guest rooms bears a
markedresemblanceto the familiarIchikawa familycrest.Wright's
particularfondnessfor the matineeidol IchikawaDanjuroin the
voluminousbrick-redgarmentsof the Shibaraku (Waita Moment)
role is easyto understand(see p. 48). Perhapsthese starkportraits
embodiedfor Wrightthe eliminationof the insignificant, the virtue
he praisedabove all others in prints.The nearlythree hundred
Katsukawaukiyo-ethat Wrightassembledfor the Metropolitan,
includingnot only singlesheets but also diptychs,triptychs,and
pentaptychs,constituteone of the great collectionsof their kind
anywhere(see p. 55).
Throughouthis life Wrightwas enthralledby Hiroshige'swell-
known series, the One HundredFamousViews of Edo and the
Fifty-threeStationsof the Tokaido (see pp. 50-51). Their ro-
manticand picturesquesubjectshad an obviousappeal,butthey
were also more generallyavailableat the time. The best of the
earlier printshad left Japanin the 1880s and 1890s to be sold
in Parisby the renowned dealer HayashiTadamasa(1853-1906).
Againand againWrightproclaimedHiroshigeto be the greatest
artistin the world. When lecturingto his studentsat Taliesin,he
enjoyed liningup many impressionsof the same subject by
Hiroshigefor comparison.He held a printpartyat Taliesinevery
year:after a sukiyakidinnerhe would bringout stacksof prints
and talk for hours, patientlyexplainingthe technique of the
printingprocess (he owned manyof the wood blocks)as well as
discoursingon theirvaluefor studentsof architecture."Hiroshige
did,with a sense of space, very muchwhat we have been doing
with it in our architecture,"he would say."Hereyou get a sense
of tremendous,limitlessspace.Insteadof somethingconfinedwith-
in a picture.... On what is your attentionfocused?Nothing."He
also told them that the printswould cultivatetheir sensibilities
for landscape.
Wright frequently let buildingsand trees break through the
boundsof the frame in hisdrawings,but he carriedthe ideaeven
furtherthan had Hiroshige,who was, afterall,constrictedby the
conventionalsize and shape of the wood block.Other Japanese
qualitiesin Wright'sdrawingsare his preferencefor asymmetry
of composition,the use of a square red "seal,"striated skies
reminiscentof Hiroshige'srain,and the generallyflattened,pla-
nar style of his renderings.The strongest connectionoccurs in
the drawingsexecuted under his supervisionbetween 1904and
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin ®
www.jstor.org
'(op3 Jo SM!AAsnowule paJpunH auo wuoij) a9p!Jg !/nsl puD uu!JqS D SI4lD0W/'L3!qsOJ!H
DUO)Il 9q/ 'DWWOUD/W

OS
 51

Hiroshige,A SuddenShowerat Ohashi(from One HundredFamousViews of Edo).

52
1906 by his assistantMarionMahony(see below). They are re-
markablefor their beautifuland unusualborders of lushtrees
and foliage,complete with birds.Wright penciled in a notation
on the drawingfor the 1906 De Rhodes house in South Bend,
Indiana:"Drawnby Mahonyafter FLWand Hiroshige."
It is not certainwhen Wright began collectingukiyo-e, but he
may have seen the displayof works by Hokusai(1760-1849)
and Hiroshigeat the World'sColumbianExpositionin Chicagoin
1893, about the time he opened his practice in Oak Park.
A photo of the interiorof the octagonallibraryattachedto his
Oak Parkstudioshows a gateleg oak table with a Japaneseprint
propped up on an adjustableslantedeasel (p. I I).A similartable
was amongthe furnishings of the livingroom of the house he con-
structed for FrancisW. Littlein Wayzata,Minnesota,between
1912and 1914(see p. 29).
In Februaryof 1905 Wright made his first voyage to Japanin
pursuitof prints,and he did indeed returnwith enoughexpertise
to stage an exhibitionof his own Hiroshigecollectionat the Art
Instituteof Chicagoin Marchof 1906. The printswere densely
crowded, lackingthe distinctiveelegance of Wright'slater wall
groupings,but hisuse of narrow,vertical"pillarprints"(namedfor
theirdisplaylocationinJapanesehouses)as framingelementsand
decorativeaccents is alreadyapparent.
Wrighttook partina second printexhibitionat the Art Institute
in 1908 (see p. 53, upper left). Other Chicagolenders included
ClarenceBuckingham, thenthe foremostprintcollectorinAmerica,
FrederickW. Gookin,Buckingham's curatorand a leadingscholar
of prints,andJ.ClarenceWebster.Theircombinedcontributions
totaled an astonishing659 prints spread through six galleries.
Wrightdesignedthe installation,which attracteda great deal of
attentionand favorablecomment. The wallswere covered with
graypaper havinga faintpinkishhue. Againstthis backgroundthe
matted printswere hung in narrow frames of unfinishedchest-
nut and suspended by green cords that made a decorative
pattern of vertical lines across the upper part of the walls.
Freestandingroom dividersfor the displayof additionalprints
were flankedby posts capped with pots of Japanesedwarftrees
and azaleas. The posts were appropriatelyaccentuated with
pillarprints.Forthis exhibitionWrighthadalso inventeda special
three-foot-high mahogany stand for vertical prints, complete
with a shallowprojectingledge to accommodateJapanese-style
flower arrangements(see p. 53, upper right).The unmatted
printswere fitted directly into the wooden frames, in accor-
dance with Wright'sdesire to enhance those whose color had
faded. A few years later Wright placed three of these small
uprightprintstands in his own livingroom at Taliesin(see p. 53,
lower left).Views of Taliesininteriorsfrom the forties and fifties
show that he also went on to design a print-viewingstand of
honey-colored cypress with long, low proportions.
Wright likedto see printshangingin the homes he built.The
1904 D. D. Martinhouse in Buffalo,New York,featured prints
as the sole wall decorationin the hall,receivingroom, and living
room. The livingroom of the Littlehouse entered the Metropoli-
tan'scollectioncomplete with three of Wright'sHiroshigeland-
scapes (see p. 29). Littleat one time owned over three hundred
of Wright'sprintsas well as quite a few Orientalrugs,a legacyof
the architect'snotoriouslypoor bookkeeping.
Wrightwas not only a collector but also a man of expensive
S::0
1 :j: by MarionMahonyof K.C. De
Rendering
_-ii :0 Rhodeshouse,SouthBend,Indiana,1906.
 53

Top left:Exhibitionof Japaneseprintsat the

Art Instituteof Chicago,1908.Top right:
Standfor Japaneseprintandvase. Bottom:
Livingroom at TaliesinI,SpringGreen,
Wisconsin,c. 1911.
54
tastes who generally lived beyond his means. He was often
forced to use printsas collateralfor loans from generous sup-
porters likeLittleand Martin.In 1910Buckingham paidhimsome
twenty-one thousand dollars for prints,most of which he had
firstto reclaimfrom Little,who hadbeen holdingthemas collateral.
Wright continued to recommend prints to Martinfor their
investmentvalue,but Martinrequiredprintsonly as inexpensive
wall decoration.
In 1913Wrightentered into a serious businessrelationshipwith
the famed Spauldingbrothers, William(1865-1937) and John
(1870-1948), of Boston, to whom he had been introducedby
Gookin.WilliamvisitedWrightthat year at his office in Orches-
tra Hall in Chicago in order to purchase 100 actor prints.
Hearingthat Wrightwas about to embarkfor Japaninthe fallof
1913(in search of the commissionof consultingarchitectfor the
new ImperialHotel in Tokyo), Williamand VirginiaSpaulding
invitedhimto dinnerat their BeaconStreet home. Itwas agreed
that Wrightwould receive $20,000 from the Spauldingsand set
aside for them all the uniqueand superior printsthat he could
find,while keepingthe remainderfor himself.The originalmoney
soon ran out, and by the end of five months he had spent
125,000 Spauldingdollars.
countryhomeat Pride's
Iwasto bringthe printsto the Spaulding
Crossing....[TheSpauldings]had Gookin(asconsultant
connoisseur) presentand several othercollectors-Ficke,
Chandler.
Mansfield, Forthreedayswe laidoutprintsandprints
andmoreprintsandsomemoreprintsuntilneitherthe
norGookin(hewasnowleadingexpertinAmerica)
Spauldings
couldbelievetheireyes....
washardlythe
WilliamSpauldingespecially delighted-gratified
word-said, "Mr. Wright, thisgoesfarbeyondanyexpectations
thisover
we had.Youcan'thavemuchof yourownafterturning
to us?"
"Ihaveenough," Isaid."I'vedoneprettywellbymyself,Iassureyou."
Charles H. Chandlerand Arthur Davison Fickewere Chicago
collectors, but Howard Mansfield(1849-1939), a New York
lawyer,was a trustee andtreasurerof the MetropolitanMuseum.
The Spauldingmoney had establishedWright'sbuyingpower in
Tokyo. Anything in the ordinary channels came to him first.
"'Wrieto-San'[as the Japanesecalled him]was... on the map of
Tokyo as the most extensive buyer of the fine antiqueprint...."
InDecember of 1916Wrightmade the first of six longtripsto
Japanentailed by his commissionto build the ImperialHotel.
"Thepursuitof the Japaneseprintbecame my constantrecrea-
tion while in Tokyo,"he wrote in his autobiography.Wright's
local guide and interpreter was the cosmopolitan and well-
connected ShugioHiromichi,a member of the imperialcommis-
sion inchargeof Japaneseart exhibitssent to foreignexpositions.
The printswere mounted and grouped in Wright'sworkshop
at the Imperialand then placed in Shugio'sfamilystorehouse.
In 1917Wrightwrote the catalogueand designed the installa-
tion for anotherexhibitionof his prints,at the Arts Clubof Chi-
cago.He usedthe opportunityto praisehisfavoriteartist,Hiroshige.
That same year Wright opened negotiationswith the Metro-
politanMuseumfor a series of major printsales. It was a time
when he hadsevere financialproblems,aggravatedby a dearthof
clientsand the expense of rebuildingTaliesinafterthe disastrous
fire and murdersthere in 1914.Over the next five years Wright
corresponded regularlywith S. C. Bosch-Reitz (1860-1938),
who had been appointed the Museum'sfirst curator of Far
EasternArt in 1915.Bosch-Reitzwas a painterfrom Amsterdam
who had spent the year 1900 inJapan,where he studiedwood-
block printingtechniques and made at least one print of his
own. He hada good eye and catholictastes, and althoughknown
as a connoisseurof Chinese ceramics,he was, untilthe time of
his retirement in 1927, remarkablyactive in the acquisitionof
ukiyo-e.The bulkof the Wright printswere purchasedin two
separatesales in 1918, for a total of $20,000. Bosch-Reitzdrove
a hard bargain,selecting only one-third of the Hiroshigesthat
Wright had sent on consignment and dismissingthe rest as
high-pricedwithout being very special. Wright responded in-
stantlythat he would hold onto them or offer them elsewhere:
TheBostonMuseum hasnoneworthconsidering andtheymightbe
interestedifthe Metropolitan Ihave
isnot.... Lookthemovercarefully.
beeninthethickof themfortwenty-five yearsnow andthereis nothing
betteranywhereandinmostcasesnothingequal.
A month later,five days before Wright'sdeparturefor Japan,
a desperate note to Bosch-Reitzarrivedfrom Taliesin:
Takewhatprintsyouwillatthe priceyouthinkfair.Ihopeyouwilltake
manybecauseIamsurethe Museum willnothavesuchanopportunity
again-andIneedthe money.
Iwouldratheralmostbe "landpoor"than"artpoor."Thecombination
makesa permanent penitentof me.
Neveragain-
In Tokyo, Wright resumed buying prints. His Tokyo and
Yokohamabankbooks for 1919show paymentsto at leasteight
dealers.
Laterthat year he was even inspiredto designa printgalleryfor
the Spauldings.A skylightwas intended to allow viewing by
naturallight,and plants-integral to all of his interiors-were
judiciouslylocated throughoutthe room. The walls above the
storage cabinetswere slanted,for ease of viewingand display,
and a slanted easel, much like that in his Oak Parkstudio, was
availablefor studyingindividualprints while seated. This ideal
room was never built;the Spauldingsmay have lost interest in
Wright,or perhapsthey simplystopped collecting.In 1921they
promised their nearly seven thousand Japanese printsto the
Museumof FineArts in Boston.
Earlyin 1920, while searchingfor printson behalfof Howard
Mansfield,Wrightwas defraudedof a vast amountof money by
an unscrupulousTokyo dealer who led him by train and rick-
shaw to a clandestinecollectionin a littleJapanesehouse on the
 55

outskirtsof Nikko.Wrightspent $50,000 in two hours.Return-

ingto America,he sold halfof the printsto Mansfieldfor the same
figure, makinga tidy profit. But back in Tokyo againlater that
same year a fatefultelegram arrivedfrom Mansfield:some of
the printsWrighthadsold himhad pinpricks,indicating "revamp-
ing"-or reprinting. Apparentlyseveraldealershadsponsoredfor
years a studio in the country where craftsmenworked to im-
prove the color of worn and faded prints.Wrightwas forced to
throw open hisvaultsto Mansfieldfor an exchangeof allthe bad
prints.A few years later,priorto hisfinalsaleto the Metropolitan
in 1922, Wrightexplainedthe sad event to Bosch-Reitz:
Ilostatthattime-by meansof restitutions Ifeltboundto make-about
$30,000,which Ihadearned bymy work on the Hotel....Upon
Imperial
my returnto I
Tokyo got afterthe dealer
principal with allmy
resources-kepthimoutof business fortwo yearson probation while
the procuratorhadhiminhistoils-got the backing of the court
withthe helpofJapanese friendsinTokyoandfinally soldhimout,
homeandallandtookwhathe hadwhichnettedthe munificent
sumof yen3500? .
Sincethen, he continued,"notone printwhich is in any way bad
has been purchasedby me nor knowinglypresented to me for
consideration-and I think in Tokyo among all the dealers the
matter is settled and most anyone now safe from imposition."
He announcedhis imminentarrivalin New York"totry and dis-
pose of enough printsto meet my deficit this year.... In this
matterIam a merchantand expect to be treated likeone-I have
littleuse for the 'gentleman'dealerinworks of art.He bores me."
The Wright prints at the Metropolitaninclude some of the
Museum'svery finest ukiyo-e, but there are also a number of
late and bad impressionsand examples marred by conspicuous
centerfoldcreases, as well as a few that have been revamped
and others that have been remargined.Wright did admit to
some "conditioning" of his own, but his correspondence with
Bosch-Reitz suggests that he was nai've,dependent on the
advice of his friend Shugio and exploited by a host of clever
Japanesedealers. Hearingthat Bosch-Reitzhad questionedone
of his printsas "too good to be true,"he noted that he had it
passed by the Old PrintsSociety in Tokyo, a group of ukiyo-e
experts who hadto give their unanimousapprovalfor a printto
be authenticated.Nonetheless, Bosch-Reitzwas compelled on
severaloccasionsto admonishWrightfor retouchingprintshe sold.
InOctober of 1922 he sent the followingnote:
1.
Shunsh6,NakamuraTomijur6
Idreadto thinkwhatyourfeelingsaregoingto be afterreading whatI
haveto say.Howeverhereitis:Iwentoverthe printsyoulefthereand
foundthattwo of the early[Hiroshige]TotoMeishoset arerevamped,
Wright,distressed by the accusation,repliedthe next week:
alloftheclassic pinkclouds,etc.... Further
signsarethere,pinholes,bright
Ifoundthatof two Shunshos one background hadbeenpaintedupwith Thereisno intention on mypartto deceiveyouor anyoneelse-I think
yellow andthe other refreshedwith blue. you know this.
Kindlyforwardsuspectedprintsat onceforinspection
Ifyouallowmeto giveyoua tipyoushouldtellyourmanto takeoff andcomparison. Ihaveneverchangedthevaluesinanyof myprints.As
the matswhenhe retouchesthe prints; paintedlineswhichcontinueon allcollectorsdo andwilldo Ihaveworkedon themsometimeswith
the matarea terriblegiveaway. colorto retouchspots,cleansurfaces, but
putthe printintocondition
Wellnowtheworstissaid,fumeasyoulike. very little
even of I
that. havedonethis with
usually the on
mats and no
56
one couldobjectto whatIdid.Longagosomefoolingwithsomeof my
printswasdonebymystudioboyswhohadalwaysaccessto themasto
a kindof library-fortheireducation andpleasure. Butthatwasten
yearsagoor moreandrejectedlongsince.Ihavegonethroughthe
remaining to eliminate
printscarefully of the"vamp."
the"taint"
N.B.Sincethe"revamping" cameto lightIhavepreferred to letmy
or
alone-even
printsstrictly to stains
or wormholes "pressing"-.And
mostof myprintsacquired sincethattimeare"asfound" withoutthe
customary conditioninggivenbyGookinandothers.
In the end, makingthe best of a bad situation,Wright was
good-humoredabout offeringto lend the Metropolitana group
of sixty finely executed "vamps"("truevampires,"as he called
them, "convictedand generallyadmired as such")for a study
exhibitionthat Bosch-Reitzhad in mind. One such vampire,
perhaps a legacy of the Tokyo scandal,was accepted from
Wrightas a giftin 1921(above).Itis a Kiyonagadiptychdepictinga
group of courtesans entertaininga customer at a teahouse in
Shinagawawith a view of Tokyo Bay.The unprintedareasof sky
andfacesare heavilysoiledandworn,yet the fugitiveblueand pur-
ple inthe robes and alongthe horizon,as well as the red, another
sensitivecolor, appear incongruouslyfresh, as though in pristine
condition.When the printis viewed from behind,numerouspin
holes are visible. Guidelinesfor the tracer when cuttingnew
color blocks,pin holes are the surest clues to a reworked print.
Inaddition,facialoutlineshave been strengthenedwith a single-
hairbrush,and numerouslargeholes have been cleverlypatched
from behind.By coincidence,the left side of this same diptychis
shown propped up on the print table in the early photo of
Wright'sOak Parkstudio (p. I I).
Survivingrecords indicatethat Wright'slast purchasefrom a
exhibitionhave been made possiblethroughthe generosityof Saul
Theinstallationof the FrankLloydWrightRoomand the accompanying
P.Steinbergand RelianceGroupHoldings,Inc.
Kiyonaga, (fromTwelve Monthsin
Shinagawa
the South).
Japanesedealer was made in 1923. He never returnedto Japan
thereafter.Althoughhe continuedto acquireJapaneseart until
the end of his life,his days as a serious printdealer were over. It
was an interestingchapter in his life but a difficultone as well, if
only from the point of view of the amount of his workingtime
the printsconsumed.He once told hisapprenticesat Taliesinthat
whilehe was drawingfor the ImperialHotel,vendors of Japanese
printswere linedup outside his office, interruptinghimthrough-
out the day. Inthe end, however, the exhilarationof the search
andthe pride in forminga numberof greatAmericancollections
outweighedthe sense of frustrationor disappointment.His own
compellingargumentin favor of printsellingwas that it allowed
himto refuse any work or clientsthat did not interesthim-an
enviableposition.
Wrightbought printsfor many reasons-for investment(Jap-
anese prints practicallybuilt Taliesin I and II, he said), for
decoration,but above allfor artisticand even spiritualinspiration.
Itisawesome that manyof the best ukiyo-einAmericanmuseums
passedthroughhis hands.At the Metropolitanthere are not only
the Bosch-Reitzacquisitionsbut also the hundredsof outstanding
Mansfieldprintsthat entered the collectionin 1936. Numerous
Wrightprintsare among the 1,400 that Buckinghamleft to the
Art Instituteof Chicago;amongthe Spauldingprintsatthe Museum
of FineArts; and among collectionsin museums in KansasCity,
Minneapolis,Ann Arbor, and Philadelphia, to name but a few.
Wrightspent nearly halfa million dollarsinJapan on prints,a sum
that would be exceptional even today. In his own words, the
Japanese print is "one of the most amazing products of the
world, and I think no nation has anythingto compare with it."
NOTES
Measurementsare listedwith heightfirst,then, where applicable,width,width by depth, or
diameter.
p. 5: Transcriptof talk to ChicagoWomen's Aid, 1918. FrankLloydWright Foundation
archives,Scottsdale,Arizona.Quoted inFrankLloydWrighton Architecture, SelectedWritings,
ed. by FrederickGutheim.New York, 1942.
p.49:"... salvationbutsurrender.":
FrankLloydWright,AntiqueColourPrintsfromtheCollection
of FrankLloydWright.Exh.cat.,The Arts Clubof ChicagoExhibition.Nov. 12-Dec. 15, 1917,
Frank An Rev.ed., New York,1977,pp. 217, 228; "hoso-e":
p. 3; LloydWright, Autobiography.
Wright,An Autobiography, p. 550; "He was a theater buff.. stage.":Transcriptof Wright's
lectureat a Japaneseprintparty held at Taliesinon Sept. 20, 1950, pp. 14-15. Courtesy of
FrankLloydWrightFoundation,Scottsdale,Arizona.Iam indebtedto BruceBrooksPfeiffer,
Directorof Archivesfor the Foundation,for his insightsand generous assistancewith my
research.
CREDITSAND PHOTO CREDITS
Unlessotherwisenoted, works are from the collectionsof The MetropolitanMuseumof Art
and photographyis by the MetropolitanMuseumPhotographStudio.Photographson pp.
9(below), 13, 16, 20, 21. 30-33, 38(right),41(below), 42-45, and 47 are by Frances
McLaughlin-Gill.
Cover:Photo:CervinRobinson.Purchase,EmilyCraneChadbourneBequest,1972(1972.60.1).
Backcover:The red squarewith "FrankLloydWright"in block lettersis a registeredtrade-
markbelongingto the FrankLloydWrightFoundation.
Insidefront cover: The EdwardPearce Casey Fund, 1982 (1982.1051.I).
pp. 4, 10, 1I(below), 12(above), 18(right),22(left;upper and lower right),23(below):Plati-
num printsby Henry Fuermann.Purchase,Giftof HermannG. Pundt,Ph.D.,and Purchase,
EdwardPearce Casey Fund,1981 (1981.1005.19,16,17,14,13,2,1,9,3).p. 4: 1907,9'/6 x 75/8
inches; p. 10: after 1903, 77/16 x 91' inches; p.l 1: after 1903, 79/16 x 99/16 inches; p. 12:
5/h x 95/16 inches; p. 18: 9 /32 x 79/16 inches; p. 22(left): c. 1904, 93/8 x 7'1/32 inches;
p. 22(upper right):c.1904, 69/16x 93/8 inches;p.22(lower right):c. 1904, 7"/32x 9/4 inches;
p.23: c. 1904, 79/32x 93/8 inches.
p. 7: Photo courtesy Henry-RussellHitchcock.
pp. 8, 12(below), 14-15, 18(left):FromAusgefihrteBautenund Entwurfevon FrankLloyd
Wright(Berlin:ErnstWasmuth,1910),pls.4, 22, 25, 33. Purchase,EmilyCraneChadbourne
Bequest,1972(1972.607.49[4,14,16,32],.51[32]).p. 8: Lithographin brown ink,251/4 x 175/
inches;p. 12: lithographin brown ink, 175/8x 251/4inches;pp. 14-15: lithographin brown
andyellow ink, 175/8x 251/ inches;p. 18:lithographin brown inkon tissue,fullsheet 25/4 x
175/8inches.
p. 9(above):Photo:JohnSzarkowski.Courtesy the photographer.
p. 9(below):Paintedplasterof paris, 14/2 x I8(top; base, 12) inches.AnonymousGift, 1980
(1980.154.1,2).
p. I I(above):FromTheStudio3 (1894).
p. 13:Leadcames,transparentand translucentglass,pine frame,42 x 22 inches.Lentby Mr.
and Mrs.1.Wister Morris,III(SL 82.66).
p. 16:Oak, 553/4x 17 x 18/2 inches.Purchase,Mr.and Mrs.DavidLubartGift,in memory of
Katherine J. Lubart,1944-1975, 1978 (1978.189).
p. 17: CollectionThe Art Instituteof Chicago.
p. 19:Photo:DirkBakker.Paintedsteel, 38 x 203/4x 243/4inches.Theodore R. Gamble,Jr.
Gift,in honor of his mother, Mrs.Theodore Robert Gamble, 1979 (1979.130).
p. 20: Paintedsteel, 35 x 14 x 17 inches.Gift of Mr.and Mrs.ArthurA. Carrara,1979
(1979.302).
p. 21: Oak,40/8 x 15 x 187/8inches.Giftof Williamand MaryDrummond,1981(1981.437).
p. 23(above),34: Purchase,Giftof HermannG. Pundt,Ph.D.,and Purchase,EdwardPearce
Casey Fund, 1981 (198 1.1005.24,27).p. 23(above):c. 1904, pencilover carbon on tracing
paper,207/16x 17/8 inches;p. 34: pencilon tracingpaper,n.d.,fullsheet 825/32 x 181'/6 inches.
p. 24: Platinum print attributed to Henry Fuermann, c. 19 12, 103 /32 X 63/32 inches. Gift of Edgar
Tafel, 1976 (1976.556).
p. 25: Zinccames,transparentand translucentglass,pine frame,each 861/4x 28 x 2 inches.
Purchase,The EdgarJ. KaufmannFoundationand Edward C. Moore, Jr. Gifts, 1967
(67.231.1-3).
pp. 26-27: Courtesy Mrs.R. V. Stevenson.
p. 54: "Iwas to bring...":Wright,An Autobiography, p. 553; "Wrieto-San...":Ibid.,p. 550;
"Thepursuit...Tokyo":Wright,AnAutobiography, London,New York,and Toronto, 1932,
p. 204; "Theconservation...amateur.": Wright,AntiqueColourPrints,p. 3; Wrightto Bosch-
Reitz,Taliesin,Aug. 10, [I 918]. Archivesof The MetropolitanMuseumof Art. ?Olgivanna
Lloyd Wright 1982; Wright to Bosch-Reitz,Taliesin,Sept. 14, 1918. Archives of The
MetropolitanMuseumof Art. ?Olgivanna LloydWright 1982.
p. 55: Telegramfrom Mansfield:Wright,AnAutobiography, rev. ed., 1977, p. 555; Wrightto
Bosch-Reitz,Taliesin,Oct. 17, [1922]. Archives of The MetropolitanMuseum of Art.
Bosch-Reitz
to New York,Oct. 26, 1922.Archives
?OlgivannaLloydWright 1982; Wright,
of The MetropolitanMuseumof Art.
pp. 55-56: Wrightto Bosch-Reitz,Nov. 2, 1922.Archivesof The MetropolitanMuseumof
Art. ?OlgivannaLloydWright 1982.
p. 56: "truevampires":
Wrightto Bosch-Reitz,Taliesin,Oct. 26, 1922;"oneof the most... it.":
Transcriptof Wright'slecture at a Japaneseprintparty,p. 21.
pp. 28, 30 (left and right),31, 32-33, 35(left):Purchase,EmilyCrane ChadbourneBequest,
1972 (1972.60.1a-e,I 1,1,4,8a,b,I). p.30(left): 1915. Oak, 353/4 x 15/2 x 15/2 inches;
p. 30(right):1915. Oak, 32 x 7 x I I inches;p. 31: 1915. Oak, 33/4 x 37 x 29 inches;p. 32-
33: Oak, 453/8(verticals;horizontals,253/8)x 10/4 (wings folded; wings open, 373/8)x
44/16 inches;p. 35(left):zinc cames electroplatedwith copper, transparentand translucent
glass,pine frame, 585/8x 115/8inches.
p. 29(below):Penciland orange and brown colored pencil on tissue, n.d., 1017/32 x 363/8
inches.Purchase,EmilyCrane ChadbourneBequest, 1972 (1972.607.3).
p. 29(above):Photo:Hollis.Courtesy Henry-RussellHitchcock.
pp. 35(upperand lower center;right):FrankLloydWright,pencilon tissue.Purchase,Giftof
HermannG. Pundt,Ph.D.,and Purchase,EdwardPearce Casey Fund,1981 (1981.1005.33,
37,28). p. 35(uppercenter):c. 1905,fullsheet 69/16x 43/4inches;(lower center):c. 1905,full
sheet 7 x 85/16inches;(right):c. 1904, 1415/32x 61/6 inches.
p. 36: ?The FrankLloydWrightFoundation1957.
p. 37(left):Photo:Henry Fuermann& Sons, Chicago.Courtesy Henry-RussellHitchcock.
p. 37(right):Paintedconcrete, 65 x 14 x 12 inches.Giftof Mr.and Mrs.JohnT Steele, 1979
(1979.304).
p, 38(left):Porcelain,diam.,above: 105/8;below; 75/8inches.Gift of Mr.and Mrs.Roger G.
Kennedy,1978 (1978.501.4,6).
p. 38(right):Oak, 38 x 16 x 17 inches.Gift of Dr. Roger G. Gerry, 1968 (68.20.2).
p. 39: From "The Life-Workof the AmericanArchitect FrankLloydWright,"Wendigen
(1925), p. 124. Magazine,13/4 x 13 inches.Lent by 1.Wister Morris,III.
p. 40: CollectionThe Art Instituteof Chicago.
p. 41(above):Photo: Roy E. Peterson.Courtesy Henry-RussellHitchcock.
pp. 42-43: Paintedsteel, walnut,and brass.Desk, 333/4x 84 x 32 inches;chair36 x 17/4 x
20 inches.Lent by S. C. Johnsonand Son, Inc.(LI979.46.1,2).
p. 44: ?The FrankLloydWrightFoundation1955.
pp. 44-45: c. 1939. Plycorewith cyprusveneer over chestnutnaugahydeupholstery,chair
28 x 21 x 28 inches;end tables 17s/8x 30 x 30, 223/8x 26/8 x 18 /4 inches;sideboard28/4 x
59 /2 x 26/8 inches.Gift of JessicaStevens Loring,1981 (I 981.438.1-5).
p. 46: Courtesy PhillipsPetroleumCompany.
p. 47: Aluminum,30 x 26 x 26 inches, Lent by Mrs. Harold C. Price and Charles Price
(SL82.67.2).
p. 48: Wood-block print, c. 1789, 127/8x 53/4inches. Former collection of FrankLloyd
Wright.Rogers Fund, 1922 (JP 1343).
pp. 50, 51, 55: Formercollectionof FrankLloydWright.PulitzerFund,1918(JP646,643,381).
p. 50: Wood-blockprint,1857, 145/8x 9l/6 inches;p. 5 1:Wood-blockprint,1857, 133/8x 9?/2
inches;p. 55: Wood-block print,c. 1777, 117/8x 59/16inches.
pp. 52, 53(below left):Courtesy The FrankLloydWrightMemorialFoundation.
p. 53(above left):CollectionThe Art Instituteof Chicago.
p. 53(above right):c. 1908. Mahogany,351/2x 9 x 103/4 inches.Courtesy KelmscottGallery,
Chicago.
p. 56: Wood-block print,c. 1783, diptych,each 151/4x 10'/8inches.Gift of FrankLloyd
Wright, 1921 (JP 1268).
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art

is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin ®
www.jstor.org