Issue 81 January 24th 2018

The Headlines

Is That a Frank Lloyd Wright? Prove It

Katherine Clarke of realtor.com writes that "In the case of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, whose projects are faithfully (and almost exhaustively) documented by scholars, disputes occur. That may be due to the fact that the economic incentive to document a Wright is considerable. “It maybe raises a building’s value by a factor of five or more,” says William Allin Storrer, a Wright historian. “A $160,000 home would be worth $1.5 million if it was by Wright.”

Joel Hoglund, communications director at the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy in Chicago, estimates that his organization is contacted every couple of months by homeowners who believe their property may be a Wright. The conservancy checks such inquiries against its internal database of all Wright structures. “While discovery of a previously unknown Frank Lloyd Wright design is unlikely, it is not impossible,” he says." Read more.

Celebrate Alfonso Iannelli's 130th Birthday

Come out to Park Ridge, IL on Sunday February 18, 2018 from 1:00 to 3:30 pm to celebrate the 130th birthday of sculptor, designer, and artist Alfonso Iannelli. The Kalo Foundation will hold a special event where you can see an exhibit of Iannelli artwork, meet author David Jameson, and have some cake! More info.

New Wright Lesson Plans Bring Architecture Into The Classroom

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is in partnership with educators at school districts near 74 different Frank Lloyd Wright sites across the country to bring classroom lessons that explore spatial and engineering relationships, structures like cantilevers, and the concepts of organic architecture.

”Using his legacy to inspire kids is an important role for a cultural foundation,” says Stuart Graff, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation president and CEO. “Science and math aren’t going to be boring to these kids. A few of them will go on to be architects, engineers, designers and scientists.” Read more.

"This is Martin House" Video on YouTube

Doug D. informs us that after 20 years of a community-wide restoration effort, Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House has come a long way since it was originally built in the heart of Buffalo, NY in 1905. This video has a wonderful message with the tag line: "The Martin House is two stories high and thousands of stories deep." See it here.

The Greatest Victorian Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright?

Frank Lloyd Wright is not often referred to as a Victorian architect (in fact he often railed against the fussy, cloistered-roomed, "gingerbread" houses.) So, it may interest you to hear an upcoming lecture by Richard Guy Wilson, Director of the Victorian Society in America’s summer school in Newport, Rhode Island, and Commonwealth Professor of Architectural History at University of Virginia, on Wednesday, February 14th called “The Greatest Victorian Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright and Newport, Rhode Island.” The lecture will begin at 6pm, and is hosted by the Victorian Society in America and its Alumni Association, at the Jefferson Market Library in New York City. 425 Avenue of the Americas, New York. RSVP by Monday, February 12 to admin@vsasummerschools.org. Learn more.

Dow's "Tunnel" Part Of Saturday tours

Tours of an underground tunnel that connected Alden B. Dow's house to his architectural studio will be part of the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio public tours in February, March, and April 2018. The tunnel, used to house mechanical elements, was occasionally the site of fun for the Dow family, including a haunted-maze Halloween party. "Tunnel Tours" are part of each 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday tours February through April. Tours are by reservation at 989-839-2744. Read more.

On the Market: Wright’s Lykes House

One of only 14 circular homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Norman Lykes House in Phoenix was one of the last ones designed by the legendary architect before his death in 1959. The 3,095-square-foot home overlooking Palm Canyon is listed at $3.25 million. “The new owner of this very special property will be not only purchasing a fantastic home, they will become the new stewards of this important moment in architectural history,” said Johnson, a partner of The Agency in Arizona.

Wright originally sketched-out the design of the home for Norman and Aimee Lykes. His apprentice, John Rattenbury, ultimately constructed the curved, mountain-side dwelling for the Lykes in 1967. Since then, this mid-century masterpiece has passed ownership only once. The current owners updated the 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom home in 1994, but only with approval from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the expert help of John Rattenbury himself. See some great photos here.

Mason's Legacy Part of Wright Building Destruction Saga

For Dan Nelsen of Fort Benton, three months of backache and a lot of pride went into the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Lockridge Clinic, formally of Whitefish, Montana, which recently became the first viable building by the famous architect to be torn down in 40 years. Here is his first-hand account of the personal loss of this building. Read and see it here.

"Tall: The American Skyscraper and Louis Sullivan" Review

The Hollywood Reporter reviews Tall: The American Skyscraper and Louis Sullivan as "an idiosyncratic, engaging look at a turning point in architecture's history."

"Sullivan endured hard times after his early successes, and eventually came to rely on the kindness of Frank Lloyd Wright, the onetime employee who continued to revere him, even after he became far more famous than his master. Documentarian Manfred Kirchheimer's film watches as Art Deco and the International Style rise up to replace the Chicago Style — the latter, in the view of Tall, a plague of cheap prefab grids that oppress city dwellers where Sullivan's street-level adornments entranced them." Read more.

JOSHUA TREE: Organic Modern Estate Lists for $3 million

The Press-Enterprise spotlights the iconic organic modern estate near Joshua Tree National Park, designed in 1988 by Kendrick Bangs Kellogg, that is up for sale with an asking price of $3 million. Read more.

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