Photograph
James Dresser Dome House
| Exterior view of the James Dresser dome home at 5126 Tomahawk Trail, Madison, WI. The house is also known as the Thomas A. and Stacy H. Littrell House, the David C. Mortensen House, and the Smart House. The house was built in 1952-53 by architect James Dresser for his family. He studied for a time at Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin in Spring Green. Dresser called it the Sunflower House due to its round shape and the awnings over the triangular windows. The house is technically a monodome — a concrete shell built on a radial framework of curved steel beams. Examples of these beams are visible in the carport structure. The lower portion of the house is subterranean and the upper portion is centered around the kitchen. Half of the home is a living and dining area open to the kitchen. The other half of the house was originally one small master bedroom, a bathroom and two tiny children's bedrooms. The original walls were cork and all the rooms of the home, except the bathroom, were originally open to the dome. |
| Image ID: | 133252 |
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| Creation Date: | 11 20 1953 |
| Creator Name: | Stein, Edwin |
| City: | Madison |
| County: | Dane |
| State: | Wisconsin |
| Collection Name: | Edwin Stein negatives and photographs, 1952-1965 |
| Genre: | Photograph |
| Original Format Type: | negative, original |
| Original Format Number: | PH 2709.0071A |
| Original Dimensions: | 4 x 5 inches |
| This image was published in the Wisconsin State Journal on November 16, 1952. The unique structure was featured in early 1950's editions of Popular Mechanics Magazine and Look Magazine, and in the September 23, 1951 and November 16, 1952 issues of the Wisconsin State Journal. One of six images. Online see Image IDs: 133253, 134512, 134514, 134516 and 134517. |
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| Architecture, Domestic |
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| This image is © copyrighted property of Wisconsin State Journal and is provided by the Wisconsin Historical Society subject to contract. Use of the image requires written permission from the staff of the Collections Division. It may not be sold or redistributed, copied or distributed as a photograph, electronic file, or any other media. The image should not be significantly altered through conventional or electronic means. Images altered beyond standard cropping and resizing require further negotiation with a staff member. Please Credit: Wisconsin Historical Society |
| Location: | Wisconsin Historical Society Archives, 4th Floor, Madison, Wisconsin |
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