Wright's Use Of Diamond Paned Glass
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SDR, the unbuilt design identified as "Artist's House" is believed to have been designed for FLW himself. Its floorplan appears in Ausge on the same plate (XXX) as Cheney. Apparently, based on the small size of the cottage, he was already contemplating splitting from Catherine by 1903.
Another built/demolished house with diamonds is Grace Fuller (XLb), plus unbuilt projects for Aline Devlin (II), Horseshoe Inn (XXXVIII) and Clarence Converse (Mono 4/136).
Vosburgh (Mono 4/124-5) has wood mullions with a single horizontal diamond spanning the width near the top of each tall window in the 2-story living room and in the bedroom windows, but not in the kitchen/dining.
Another built/demolished house with diamonds is Grace Fuller (XLb), plus unbuilt projects for Aline Devlin (II), Horseshoe Inn (XXXVIII) and Clarence Converse (Mono 4/136).
Vosburgh (Mono 4/124-5) has wood mullions with a single horizontal diamond spanning the width near the top of each tall window in the 2-story living room and in the bedroom windows, but not in the kitchen/dining.
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Perhaps it's a way to achieve the elegance of an expensive window without the cost. And viewing Isabel Roberts from the sidewalk, it seems to afford a degree of privacy. The many reflections make it difficult to see inside.
Why not a simple square pattern rather than a diamond pattern? Sketch one of each next to each other. The square pattern is confining to me, uncomfortable, unlike the elegant diamond pattern.
doug k
Why not a simple square pattern rather than a diamond pattern? Sketch one of each next to each other. The square pattern is confining to me, uncomfortable, unlike the elegant diamond pattern.
doug k
"I suspect FLW often sketched in diamond panes just to give a drawing texture, whether he planned to employ them or not. The diamond pattern would have been the easiest to draw, even freehand." Sounds right to me.
There is some evidence to support the notion that, after the middle of the first decade, diamond patterns of various kinds appeared on rural projects while suburban and city houses sported Wright's newer ideas for glazing texture.
Plan of the "Artist's House," from Taschen. I'll do a close-up of the note on the right . . .

There is some evidence to support the notion that, after the middle of the first decade, diamond patterns of various kinds appeared on rural projects while suburban and city houses sported Wright's newer ideas for glazing texture.
Plan of the "Artist's House," from Taschen. I'll do a close-up of the note on the right . . .

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FYI: I know for a fact that Tom Heinz has done an extensive search of county records to find where the Grace Fuller House was built and he could find no indication that it was ever actually constructed.Roderick Grant wrote:Another built/demolished house with diamonds is Grace Fuller (XLb).
Owner of the G. Curtis Yelland House (1910), by Wm. Drummond
Addressing DRN's point about the alignment of Wright's diagonal glazing patterns with the pitch of his hip roofs, we have this graphic from Jonathan Hale:

(. . . not to be confused with this mishmash from the same author !):

The possibility of this connection raises the issue of "pretty drawing vs architectural reality," where we have to deal with the fact that, from the ground, no 2D graphic on a vertical surface (the window) will be seen to align with a three-dimensional reality (the diagonal hip or hidden plane of roofing). Yes, the diagonals may speak to each other nevertheless . . .
SDR

(. . . not to be confused with this mishmash from the same author !):

The possibility of this connection raises the issue of "pretty drawing vs architectural reality," where we have to deal with the fact that, from the ground, no 2D graphic on a vertical surface (the window) will be seen to align with a three-dimensional reality (the diagonal hip or hidden plane of roofing). Yes, the diagonals may speak to each other nevertheless . . .
SDR
As mentioned above, 1906 marks a point at which Wright began a retreat from leaded glazing and, at the same time, an exploration of orthogonal glazing patterns, mostly in wood. In Taschen the entire year's output contains not a single diagonal design save the G M Millard residence, which was presented with traditional diamond-pane glazing but built with this in place:

Readers will find the Bock Atelier, Gridley, the Petit Memorial Chapel, Westcott, a drawing for the "Fireproof House for $5000," and the George Blossom garage all to have wood-muntin glazing with (mostly) square panes.
1907 begins with Coonley, which has Wright's typical luxurious multi-colored metal-camed glazing -- in an entirely orthogonal pattern (sharing this trait with the polychromed tiling of some second-floor exterior surfaces). The Coonley stable has an oversize grid of wood-framed windows. The Mrs E Martin garage is similar to the Blossom garage in its simple and seemingly orthodox windows. Square-lite windows are seen throughout the year, with some other simple orthogonal patterns, until we come to the Porter design shown above. Ditto 1908; the Boynton house is shown (above) with horizontal diamond-grid but built with an orthogonal leaded-glass design, as is Brown's bookstore. The Evans and Gilmore homes have Wrightian elaborated caming patterns, one with diagonals and the other without. Mayer May combines these geometries as well.
Other than Robie, already discussed, 1909 too has nothing but (mostly) wood muntin patterns in rectangular designs. Jumping to 1911, we start with Angster, where (for the first time ?) we find the wood-muntin window used later in the year at Taliesin -- with its vertical row of small and then medium panes abutting a larger field of glass. Balch, Sherman Booth (mostly -- see above), and the Park Shelter at Banff all have Craftsman-like rectangular patterns of muntins, while Wright's Chicago townhouse drawing seems to show an orthogonal metal-came pattern. The Sherman Booth stable project is shown with a pattern in wood derived from the Angster/Taliesin one.
SDR

Readers will find the Bock Atelier, Gridley, the Petit Memorial Chapel, Westcott, a drawing for the "Fireproof House for $5000," and the George Blossom garage all to have wood-muntin glazing with (mostly) square panes.
1907 begins with Coonley, which has Wright's typical luxurious multi-colored metal-camed glazing -- in an entirely orthogonal pattern (sharing this trait with the polychromed tiling of some second-floor exterior surfaces). The Coonley stable has an oversize grid of wood-framed windows. The Mrs E Martin garage is similar to the Blossom garage in its simple and seemingly orthodox windows. Square-lite windows are seen throughout the year, with some other simple orthogonal patterns, until we come to the Porter design shown above. Ditto 1908; the Boynton house is shown (above) with horizontal diamond-grid but built with an orthogonal leaded-glass design, as is Brown's bookstore. The Evans and Gilmore homes have Wrightian elaborated caming patterns, one with diagonals and the other without. Mayer May combines these geometries as well.
Other than Robie, already discussed, 1909 too has nothing but (mostly) wood muntin patterns in rectangular designs. Jumping to 1911, we start with Angster, where (for the first time ?) we find the wood-muntin window used later in the year at Taliesin -- with its vertical row of small and then medium panes abutting a larger field of glass. Balch, Sherman Booth (mostly -- see above), and the Park Shelter at Banff all have Craftsman-like rectangular patterns of muntins, while Wright's Chicago townhouse drawing seems to show an orthogonal metal-came pattern. The Sherman Booth stable project is shown with a pattern in wood derived from the Angster/Taliesin one.
SDR
Good. So, it appears that at one point he wrote "FLLW Studio House" and at another point overwrote that with "(Artists - cottages /1906" -- an incorrect dating, according to BBF, as he ascribes this (in Taschen) to 1903. He thinks this overwrite might have been made around 1940 "when preparing drawings for the show at New York's Museum of Modern Art." He also suggests that the piano in the plan "might suggest that the artist was also a musician." He notes that the perspective sheet contains a note "by Henry-Russell Hitchcock dating about 1940 that reads 'Lake Cottage' " -- an error, as the plan and perspective clearly align, he says. "The drawing that Wright prepared in 1910 for the Wasmuth portfolio shows a much more formal plan, suggesting a suburban plot." This I have not found.
SDR
SDR
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Paul, Jack Howe lived in Glencoe before Taliesin, and was familiar with the Fuller House first-hand. If Thomas Hines had refuted that, I would give it more credence than Thomas Heinz. A negative cannot be proved. The confusion may be nothing more than a name change. Possibly Grace Fuller commissioned FLW, and by the time the house was built, she had married, placing ownership of the house in her husband's name? Things like that were not uncommon in those days.
The charming, overlooked Pettit Memorial Chapel, published in Architectural Record, Nov. 1982, after a restoration, has wood mullioned windows divided into 12 square lights, but each square also has art glass. A single square with heavy caming dominates each light, with small squares at the four corners. The corner glass is milk, while the rest is clear.
The charming, overlooked Pettit Memorial Chapel, published in Architectural Record, Nov. 1982, after a restoration, has wood mullioned windows divided into 12 square lights, but each square also has art glass. A single square with heavy caming dominates each light, with small squares at the four corners. The corner glass is milk, while the rest is clear.
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