This post is part of a monthly series that explores the historical applications of building materials and systems through resources from the Building Technology Heritage Library (BTHL), an online collection of AEC catalogs, trade publications, and more. The BTHL is a project of the Association for Preservation Technology, an international building preservation organization. Read more about the archive here.
June 8 will mark the 154th birthday of Frank Lloyd Wright, making this the perfect time to explore his architectural legacy in the Building Technology Heritage Library. While more than 40 publications in the BTHL bear Wright's name, two 20th-century German monographs are particularly noteworthy.
Ausgeführte Bauten, also known as the Wasmuth Portfolio, was published in 1911 and Frank Lloyd Wright: Aus Dem Lebenswerke Eines Architekten was published in 1926. These Wright monographs would not normally be part of the BTHL, but the collection has benefited from the support of Wilbert Hasbrouck of Chicago. As an early architectural historian of the Prairie School, a preservation architect, and a rare book dealer, Hasbrouck appreciated the impact and goals of the BTHL, offering his rare original copies of these monographs for our digitization team. These two documents provide great insights into Wright’s early career and the many residential commissions he completed during the Prairie School period.
The BTHL has a number of house plan catalogs and compilations, so seeing Wright’s works in these is not surprising. Modern American Homes, written in 1914 by Hermann Valetin von Holst, illustrated one Wright house as an “example of a new style of domestic architecture in and about Chicago.” Other early trade catalogs refer to “prairie style” houses, crediting Wright as a major innovator of this style. Several trade publications also highlighted materials, such as copper and aluminum, used in Wright structures. Lastly, the mid-1950s Schumacher catalog featured Wright’s textile and wallpaper designs. Dubbed the Taliesin Line, it featured modern adaptations of Wright motifs rendered in textured fabrics and bold geometric patterns.
The original purpose of the BTHL was to create a library of technical and trade literature that could aid in the conservation of existing buildings. The ability to do a text searches of BTHL documents by an architect's name is another way this collection will aid others researching our collective architectural legacy.
Representative Cement Houses, Universal Portland Cement Co., Chicago, 1910
This cement company trade catalog has a dramatic image of the Eugene A. Gilmore house, designed by Wright in 1908. The house was extensively renovated and expanded in the 1930s so this view captures the original design. It also illustrates why this house was sometimes called the “airplane house.”
Ausgeführte Bauten, Frank Lloyd Wright, published by Earnest Wasmuth, Berlin, 1911
One of Wright's notable early publications, this monograph of Wright’s work showcased his many residential commissions. There was also a companion portfolio of large plates with delicate line art illustrations. The portfolio plates are not on the BTHL, but they are available online from the University of Utah collection.
Modern American Homes, Hermann Valentin von Holst, Chicago, 1914
Modern American Homes is a volume of plans illustrating completed houses from architects across the U.S. There is one example from Wright, the Bradley House in Kankakee, Ill., which is generally considered to be the first mature example of the Prairie School period of Wright’s work. The text cites the design as an “example of a new style of domestic architecture in and about Chicago.” In addition to Wright, there are houses designed by Walter Burley Griffin, E.E. Roberts, and Robert Spencer.
Beauty and Utility in Concrete, Chicago Portland Cement Co., Chicago, 1915
The cement catalog is a virtual celebration of Wright’s Midway Gardens, an extensive entertainment complex completed in Chicago’s South Side. The complex is noteworthy for the ornamental formed concrete structures and sculptures designed by Richard Boch and Alfonso Iannelli. The complex struggled financially and was demolished in 1929 during the Prohibition era.
Modern House Painting With Bridgeport Standard Prepared Paint, E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del., 1919
This paint company catalog has one illustration of building labeled as a “Frank Lloyd Wright type.” The text further calls this a “Prairie School” design, an early use of the term.
Good Houses: Typical Historic Architectural Styles for Modern Wood-Built Homes, Russell F. Whitehead, Weyerhaeuser Forest Products, St. Paul, Minn., 1922
This house plan catalog from Weyerhaeuser provides an extensive overview of architecture styles popular in American residential design in the 1920s. It includes more than 20 house styles, including American, Dutch, Southern, and Pennsylvania “colonial” styles. A single plate with the “American Prairie” style clearly stems from the works of Wright.
Frank Lloyd Wright: Aus Dem Lebenswerke Eines Architekten, Heinrich De Fries, Frank Lloyd Wright, Berlin, 1926
This German monograph on the work of Wright is much less well known than the earlier Wasmuth publication. Many early images are the same as those that appear in the Wasmuth publication but this volume includes works from the 1910s and 1920s, including the Imperial Hotel in Japan and the “textile block” houses from California. It also features several color plates with proposed designs for a rural cabin in the mountains.
Schumacher's Taliesin Line of Decorative Fabrics and Wallpapers Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, F. Schumacher & Co., New York, c. 1955
In the 1950s, Wright produced a special line of decorative textiles and wallpapers for Schumacher Co. They called it their “Taliesin Line … a unique and breathtaking beautiful collection of fabrics and wallpapers that will add charm and distinction to the American home, be it provincial, traditional, or contemporary in flavor.”
Architectural Metals by Anaconda, American Brass Co., Waterbury, Conn., 1959
This metal work catalog has a two-page spread on the Price Tower in Bartlesville, Okla., the only high-rise building ever completed by Wright. The exterior of the building featured stamped and creased copper sheet panels.
Aluminum in Modern Architecture Vol. 1, Reynolds Metals Co., New York, 1960
This publication showcased the use of aluminum in modern architecture and included one residence designed by Wright. Aluminum framing around its windows created a delicate and gleaming edge against the stone walls.
How to Plan a Trend-Setting Kitchen, Revco, Deerfield, Mich.,1960s
This kitchen planning publication featured the house Wright designed for Mr. and Mrs. Duey Wright in Wausau, Wis., in 1958. One of the last houses designed by Wright, the house was completed after his death.
