Auldbrass: Frank Lloyd Wright's Southern Plantation [Hardcover]

David G. De Long (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2004

A revised and updated edition of this comprehensive volume dedicated to Wright’s only plantation design. Although Frank Lloyd Wright designed more than 1,000 projects during his long and prolific career, Auldbrass Plantation, in Yemassee, South Carolina, is the only plantation he ever designed. It is also one of the largest and most complex projects he ever undertook. Wright had an unusually intense commitment to Auldbrass, and worked on it, off and on, for more than twenty years, from 1938 until his death in 1959. Because Auldbrass was private and because it fell into disrepair in the 1960s after the owners' death, it was rarely photographed or studied, and as a consequence little has been known about this major work. With a recently completed restoration and new photography, this book affords a rare opportunity to see one of Wright's greatest works, as the master himself originally envisioned it. Through photos, plans, and drawings, we see what Wright planned, and how it has finally all been either restored or realized for the first time. In 1986, film producer Joel Silver (Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours, Predator, Romeo Must Die, The Matrix, and over forty other films) bought Auldbrass. He had earlier bought and meticulously restored Wright's famous 1923 Storer House in Hollywood. Now he has again collaborated with Wright's grandson, architect Eric Lloyd Wright, who restored the Storer House, to restore the Auldbrass Plantation.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David G. DeLong, one of the most eminent of modernist architecture historians, is professor of architecture in the graduate program in historic preservation at the University of Pennsylvania. He is coauthor of Rizzoli's Louis I. Kahn: In the Realm of Architecture and American Architecture: Innovation and Tradition, and wrote the introduction to Light Screens: The Leaded Glass of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 132 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (January 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847825361
• ISBN-13: 978-0847825363
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 1.1 x 10.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,123,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Auldbrass book a great credit to all involved, must reading, December 25, 2003

By 

Patrick J. Mahoney (Buffalo, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Auldbrass: Frank Lloyd Wright's Southern Plantation (Hardcover)

I enjoyed reading this account of the design, construction and reconstruction of this project almost as much as my visits there. Prof. DeLong has presented a tremendous amount of information concerning this unusual Wright commission in a captivating way that left me unable to put the book down. It will surely be listed as one of my favorite books on Frank Lloyd Wright. The book tactfully represents the views of several owners of the property and places the design within the context of Wrights work as well as the history of architecture in general.
The photography in the book is superb! Recent photos of the completed sections of the estate give the reader the illusion of being at the property as many angles are shown in crisp well composed color views. Historical photos add to the understanding of this complex design. Historical drawings are reproduced but slightly too small to be completely understood. The text is well written although several typographical errors were noticed on my first reading.
In general this book is a great credit to all those involved in its development. Being involved in the restoration of a sizeable Wright designed estate near Buffalo, NY, I greatly appreciated the level of detail presented about how decisions were made about reconstruction and the complex process itself. This book will be a cornerstone in any complete library about Frank Lloyd Wright. Thank you Prof. DeLong!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING, September 29, 2005

By 

Paul M. Willis "PWILLI" (FT. WORTH, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Auldbrass: Frank Lloyd Wright's Southern Plantation (Hardcover)

Being a Frank Lloyd Wright enthusiast, I honestly wasn't aware of this beautiful work of art until I was visiting another FLW structure in Oklahoma. I ordered the book and I was blown away how wonderful and detailed this structure has become. I wish I had more time to read the entire book in one sitting.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent Work, April 5, 2004

By 

Bruce Guisti "thinker49" (Spring Creek, Nevada USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Auldbrass: Frank Lloyd Wright's Southern Plantation (Hardcover)

I have a huge collection of books by and about Frank Lloyd Wright. This goes right to the top of the list. The information is well presented and the photography is breathtaking. The photographic artistry matches Wright's vision. If you have any inclination toward Frank Lloyd Wright or architecture you will not be disappointed!!