Frank Lloyd Wright: America's Master Architect [Hardcover]

Kathryn Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1998

Examining the life of Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), arguably America's most celebrated architect, this work explores the grace and beauty found in all facets of Wright's work: from early prairie houses to the giant Midway Gardens, from the Imperial Hotel in Japan to perspective drawings of unbuilt projects, and from theatre curtain designs to office desk and chair sets. The text begins with Wright's apprenticeship to Adler and Sullivan before the turn of the century, moves on to the prairie period, years spent in Japan and California, major designs of the late 1920s and 1930s, his Usonian homes, and finally his later works. The book also includes a look at Wright's prized collection of Asian art.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Based on sound scholarship . . . set[s] forth Wright's ideas about buildings, people, nature and their interaction. . . . Warm, radiant pictures of his famous interiors will especially appeal to decorators. . . . All the pictures are of the highest quality. -- Roanoke Times, 10/18/98

About the Author

Kathryn Smith is the author of FLW's Taliesin and Taliesin West (Abrams, 1997) and FLW, Hollyhock House, and Olive Hill: Buildings and Projects for Aline Barnsdall (Rizzoli, 1992). Smith is former professor of architectural history at the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Abbeville Press; First Edition edition (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789202875
• ISBN-13: 978-0789202871
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 10.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kathryn Smith is an architectural historian, historic preservation consultant, and Frank Lloyd Wright authority. She was one of the first scholars to have complete access to the unpublished drawings and letters of Wright at the Taliesin Archives in Arizona. She used this experience in her first major book, FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, HOLLYHOCK HOUSE AND OLIVE HILL: PROJECTS AND BUILDINGS FOR ALINE BARNSDALL (1992), which received a fellowship from the Graham Foundation. Over a ten period, she was a visiting guest of Mrs. Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Fellowship at Wright's homes in Wisconsin and Arizona, with this knowledge, she wrote FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S TALIESIN AND TALIESIN WEST. She has also published widely with Rizzoli International, Harry N. Abrams Inc, and Abbeville Press. Her book, SCHINDLER HOUSE, has become a classic. She has been accorded several honors including the Wright Spirit Award for Professionals from the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy in 2001. In 2003, she was Scholar-in-Residence at Wright's Robie House in Chicago. She is currently at work on her next book, WRIGHT ON EXHIBIT, ARCHITECTURAL EXHIBITIONS, 1894-1959 under a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The cutest comprehensive Wright book you could want, June 12, 2005

By 

Beyond-Is-Within Also (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frank Lloyd Wright : America's Master Architect (Tiny Folio) (Hardcover)

This mini-book for the gnome's coffee table contains superb color photos, plus occasional color artist's renderings, of Wright's exteriors, interiors, and accessories from all periods of his life; it even includes items from his art collection.

Informative mini-essays in each of 7 chapters plus Introduction precede the pix; includes glossary and index. Lotsa pages in this "Big Little Book" format -- a sleeper!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frank Lloyd Wright: America's Architect, December 29, 2008

By 

J. Bechtel - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Frank Lloyd Wright : America's Master Architect (Tiny Folio) (Hardcover)

This is a charming little book with great photos. A MUST for all fans of Frank Lloyd Wright's work.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars wallet size, January 6, 2010

By 

K. Walker (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Frank Lloyd Wright : America's Master Architect (Tiny Folio) (Hardcover)

What a disappointment. In looking at this book on Amazon.com, I took note of the number of pages, but assumed it was a "normal" sized book. The pictures may be good - who can tell; you cannot see them. Even now, seeing that the dimensions are noted as approximately 4" square, I think this is an exaggeration. This book is wallet sized. This will be the first thing I have ever returned to Amazon. Buyer beware, as they say.