The Early Work of Frank Lloyd Wright

by Frank Lloyd Wright

207 rare photos of Oak Park period, first great Unity Temple, Dana house, Larkin factory, more. Complete photos of Wasmuth edition. New Introduction.

Genres: Architecture

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1911

About the author

Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the world's most prominent and influential architects.

He developed a series of highly individual styles, influenced the design of buildings all over the world, and to this day remains America's most famous architect.

Wright was also well known in his lifetime. His colorful personal life frequently made headlines, most notably for the failure of his first two marriages and for the 1914 fire and murders at his Taliesin studio.

Reviews

[Topaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a reproduction of an early review of Frank Lloyd Wright's work originally published in 1909 in German. There is not much text and there are many photos, all black & white. It's interesting to see old books written in real time during FLW's career, but there is not very much insightful or new information or photos for the enthusiast.

[jw468 · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1910, Wasmuth published Ausgeführte Bauten und Entwürfe von Frank Lloyd Wright, which swept through the world of European architecture, frequently stopping work for the entire day when it arrived. In 1911, Wasmuth published a second, smaller book depicting Wright’s work entitled Ausgeführte Bauten. According to Edgar Kaufmann, Jr.’s intro, this simpler publication was intended to circulate more widely than its predecessor. In 1968, this book was finally translated into English and published by Horizon Press. Horizon did a number of things to improve this English edition: the book was initially published as a slipcased, clothbound hardcover printed on glossy paper, the overall size of the book was enlarged so that all of the photos could be oriented the same way, inaccuracies were corrected, and better photos were referenced when possible. Instead of translating the German version of C.R. Ashbee’s foreword back into English, the original English text was used. A short portion of the foreword is in German because there was no English version that included that section.

Like Ausgeführte Bauten und Entwürfe, this book focuses primarily on the depiction of Wright’s work, this time relying on photographs that are supported by plans. There’s a good balance between exterior and interior photos, with a few construction shots and detail shots included. As can be expected when using such old photos that have been printed in such a way, a small percentage of the photos aren't very clear. The plans are labeled in German (there’s a German glossary at the end of the book). Generally, the plans are small in size.

[Steven Monrad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "Ausgefuhrte Bauten" of 1911 Berlin, Dover reprint NY.
Portfolio drawings by Wright, son Lloyd Wright and photographs by Feuerman

[Rachel]

Interesting study on architecture