OTHER RESOURCES


FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT materials

John Geiger embraced the expanded opportunities for research that became possible through the Internet. He was particularly inspired that the contents of his website could direct others to the existence of archival resources about Frank Lloyd Wright and his work, relate their contents to the product of his own scholarship, and refer researchers to other sources that complement study of organic architectural design. To that end he conceived this section of his website as a natural supplement to the information synthesized in his writings and database.

PRINCIPAL ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS

Geiger was most keenly interested in the creative process revealed through original drawings, including those prepared for publication, and the primary expression and evolving changes visible over time in photographs of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. Through his continuing relationship with Taliesin, the Frank Lloyd Wright Archives were a source of project drawings used, by permission, to illustrate his essays. In 2010, Geiger had extensive inventories made of Frank Lloyd Wright related drawings and photographs that were accessible through digital collections seen on the Internet, particularly at the Library of Congress. The drawings found through this survey were among the last entries recorded in his database. He felt, however, that online catalog searches often produced awkward result sets that were difficult to examine efficiently.

As a result, Geiger devised a program for presenting an organized guide to these archival materials on his website. Frank Lloyd Wright related items illustrated in digital collections have been identified by commission name. When possible, permanent links are provided to the individual catalog description at the holding institution. A description sheet prepared originally for John Geiger is usually provided as a PDF. In cases where individual collection items are not accessible online, a PDF or link to the general finding aid at the holding institution is presented. Geiger's intention was that the index to this website and the integration of his database of published Wright drawings include these items to offer the most comprehensive view of documentation possible for any given Wright project.

The four most extensive archival resources are:

AVERY ARCHITECTURAL AND FINE ARTS LIBRARY, Columbia University (New York City, New York)

The Frank Lloyd Wright Archives were acquired from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in 2012 by a partnership of the Avery Library and the Museum of Modern Art; these two insitutation continue to collaborate in the management of the materials with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. This core resource joins other collections already at the Avery Library to create the largest and most complete collection of materials for the study of Frank Lloyd Wright and his works.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS (Washington, D.C.)

The collection of Wright materials donated by Donald D. Walker to the Library of Congress contains a unique group of Wright drawings related to architectural commissions of the 1920s, an extensive sample of Japanese woodcut prints (ukiyo-e) that were collected by Wright to sell, and an array of correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, and ephemera. A variety of other collections also hold drawings, writings, photographs, and other forms of documentation about Wright and his work.

MUSEUM OF MODERN ART [MOMA] (New York City, New York)

While generally not on view, original models of architectural projects by Frank Lloyd Wright are now held by MOMA in partnership with the Avery Library. MOMA also holds a signficant group of other Wright-related objects, including drawings, lithographs, architectural fragments, furniture, and exhibition objects.

ARt Institute of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois)

Extensive archival materials available at the Art Institute of Chicago are held by the museum's Department of Architecture and in the collections of the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries. These materials include documentation of the early years of Wright's career, records relating to those who worked for him (e.g. Walter Burley and Marion Mahony Griffin), his clients, and his participation in the evolving milieu of architectural practice in the Midwest. The Ryerson and Burnham Archives Archival Image Collection presents 1,187 descriptions of Wright-related drawings, photographs, ephemera, and publications in the online catalog, though many lack a digital image. These represent numerous designs, both while Wright was in the office of Adler and Sullivan, Louis Sullivan, and later his own practice. The drawings shown on this site were not entered into the Geiger database unless published.

ADDITIONAL ReSOURCES

Other institutions or associations possess material or sources of information that Geiger deemed important to the life and work of Frank Lloyd Wright. He wanted to provide links to them on his website to facilitate further research:

Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has recently launched a website that presents an attractive, well developed exposition of information about the life and work of their founder, edcuational programs, and the Taliesin Estates. Of particular interest to researchers are pages that describe a number of Wright buildings, usually with links to their respective websites.

Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy

Although not a repository of archival materials, Geiger considered the accumulated postings of the Wright Chat forum at the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy website to be an outstanding source of information about Wright buildings and the Taliesin community. In addition, the site presents details about the continuing lives of existing Wright buildings and the activities of those who enjoy, study, and live in them.

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT TRUST

The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust maintains the Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park, Illinois, and also conducts a wide range of activities at Wright-related sites throughout the Chicago area. Their website offers access to the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust Digital Image Collection, which contains historic photographs and other images about the Home and Studio, the Frederick C. Robie house, and numerous other architectural designs by Wright in the vicinity.

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM (New York City, New York)

Aside from occupying the great achievement that is the Frank Lloyd Wright designed building, the Guggenheim Museum retains correspondence and other documents related to the design and construction of the facility; the correspondence has been digitized and is accessible online. A group of other materials relates to the 60 Years of Living Architecture exhibition that took place on the site in 1953.

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT TRUST

The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust maintains the Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park, Illinois, and also conducts a wide range of activities at Wright-related sites throughout the Chicago area. Their website offers access to the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust Digital Image Collection, which contains historic photographs and other images about the Home and Studio, the Frederick C. Robie house, and numerous other architectural designs by Wright in the vicinity.

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART (New York City, New York)

The online catalog at the Metropolitan Musem of Art presents descriptions of 731 Wright related items, with 464 images (search term: "Frank Lloyd Wright"). This diverse array of objects includes drawings, correspondence, photographs, publications, ceramics, furniture, metalwork, textiles, architectural fragments, and over 300 Japanese prints with provenance from Wright. The Living Room from the Francis W. Little House has been installed as a permanent feature of the American galleries; there are also numerous drawings for the house design and copies of letters and telegrams between Wright and his client. Drawings from these sources have not been entered into the Geiger database unless published.

GETTY RESEARCH INSTITUTE (Los Angeles, California)

Various special collections at the Getty Research Institute contain documentation related to Frank Lloyd Wright designs, especially drawings, correspondence, and photographs referencing Wright projects located in California. Among the most notable is the archive of photographer Julius Schulman, which offers period views of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in California. Other resources include a microfiche copy of the Frank Lloyd Wright correspondence and architectural drawings from the Wright archives formerly kept at Taliesin West and now housed at Columbia University; printed materials related to Wright collected by Bill Schmidt; correspondence between Wright and Rudolph M. Schindler; and photographs of architectural drawings by Lloyd Wright. Drawings from these sources have not been entered into the Geiger database unless published.

Stanford University (Stanford, California)

Held by the Manuscripts Division of Stanford Libraries, the Darwin D. Martin Papers contain more than 200 letters from Frank Lloyd Wright and over 2,000 letters to the architect, referring to the construction of the Darwin D. Martin House and Larkin Building in Buffalo, New York, and other Wright buildings or projects. No digital access to these items is available. The finding aid can be downloaded as a PDF.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA (Santa Barbara, California)

The Architecture and Design Collections at the University of California Santa Barbara campus contain numerous archival resources related to Frank Lloyd Wright, his colleagues, associated architects, and the papers of some Wright scholars. Drawings from these sources have not been entered into the Geiger database unless published.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Madison, Wisconsin)

The digital collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society offer 833 subject entries providing images or records in a useful visual format for materials related to Frank Lloyd Wright. These include drawings and/or photographs for many Wright buildings, information on National or State Register of Historic Place properties, and personal and family photographs, including historical albums.

Harvard Library (Cambridge, Massachusetts)

Descriptions and thumbnail images of approximately 500 architectural drawings, photographs, and publications related to the work of Frank Lloyd Wright can be examined through the Hollis website provided by Harvard Library. However, useful display sizes of the digital images are not accessible to the public. An exhibit of selected Wright drawings and photographs found in a lantern slide collection at Harvard was once mounted on the Library of Congress American Memory website. Geiger had these items documented in 2010 and these reports can be accessed on his site.