Highlights Archives
Rare Taliesin Images Acquired
When fire gutted Taliesin on August 15, 1914, the entire living quarters of the residence were destroyed. Little documentation of the structure survived the fire, thus Taliesin became one of the most puzzling structures of Wright's career. A photograph album of 33 rare photographs of Taliesin recently acquired by the Wisconsin Historical Society was unveiled to the public February 15th in the Governor's Conference Room at the State Capitol.
The 33 photographs are in an album once owned by the late Dale O'Brien and his wife Helen, who lived in Spring Green during the 1960s. They were put on the market by Helen Conwell, a retired physician from Fairhope, Alabama, who acquired them from the O'Brien estate 20 years later. Dating from 1911-1912, they show the construction of Wright's original Taliesin enclave before it was destroyed by fire in 1914.
Frank Lloyd Wright built Taliesin, his residence near Spring Green, Wisconsin, as a refuge for himself and for Mamah Borthwick Cheney, his mistress and wife of a former client. Wright designed Taliesin just after returning from Europe, and the building's design showed Wright in a period of architectural experimentation based on his experiences there. It was subsequently rebuilt, only to burn again, and was continually revised throughout the architect's life. These images therefore document Wright's original idea for a creative sanctuary as he first envisioned it.
Reproductions of the photographs will be available to the public in the Archives Research Room on the fourth floor of the Historical Society's headquarters building between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free.
Meanwhile, the Society has images of Wright buildings as well as images of the man himself in Wisconsin Historical Images. We also sell a number of Wright-inspired items within our museum store.
:: Posted February 11, 2005
|
