Frank Lloyd Wright / Museum of Science and Industry
June 10, 2009
I really enjoyed the Wright architecture – you begin to see how he influenced the styles of homes; he was before his time. I like the way he hid the entrance to the homes and the way he angled his windows for privacy. His work had very clean lines but was also very detailed. His travel to Japan also had an influence on his designs. The tall ceilings, geometric glass art windows, and lighting made the rooms in his own home seem large. His work is very distinctive and I was soon able to pick out his art-form. His wide lines, accent of repetitive patterns, glass art windows, and his planters that brought in nature helped my pick out his work. This home was my favorite:
I learned that Wright was married to his first wife, Catherine, for 20 years; they had 6 children. Many of the children lived to be quite old. The tall ceilings, geometric glass art windows, and lighting made the rooms in his own home seem large. He had a mistress who died in a tragic murder; a fire and an axing incident in Wisconsin. He then had two more wives; he was married to the last one until his death. He sounds like he had the 20 year itch”. He might have been a player but he was very edgy-creative in his architecture.
From the Wright home we traveled to the Museum of Science and Industry. The Museum sits in Jackson Park; on the same spot as the Palace of Fine Arts during the World Fair. The city and private donations made it possible to renovate the location to its original beauty for the 2nd World Fair in 1933. The original structure was only temporary and was not built to last; the pillars were wood or steel frames covered with staff (plaster of paris, horse hair, and cement). The World Fair had electricity, state buildings, moving sidewalks, Cracker Jacks, a ferris wheel that was 26 stories high, Hershey’s chocolate and the largest building; Manufacturing and Liberal Arts. The fair attracted 27 MILLION people – almost double of what they expected. The museum demonstrated the layout, design and size of the buildings with a computer simulation. We took a short walking tour around the museum which showed the details of the renovation for the World Fair in 1933 – enjoy these pictures:
