Documentary: "An American Home: Frank Lloyd Wright's B. Harley Bradley House"

[SDR]

You're doing fine. I'll look for your message, and will email you. In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving !

S

[SDR]

Duncan has graciously provided us with three pages from "Wrightscapes" (Charles and Berdeana Aguar; McGraw Hill, 2002):

[Roderick Grant]

There is an interesting house at the NE corner of Hawthorne and Eagle, across from Hickox, that looks like someone with a knowledge of FLW may have designed. Detailing and fenestration look very early Prairie style.

[DRN]

Duncan: Thank you for sharing the interesting excerpt from the Aguar’s book. It might be a good idea for you to log in to Chat and edit your post to remove your email address.... this will reduce the potential for additional spam in your inbox.

Does anyone know the current condition of the Hickox house? I actually find it to be a superior composition than the larger Bradley house.

[outside in]

I"m a little disappointed by the description of the siting of the Hickox House. If one were to visit the site, it is very clear that the axis of the three connected rooms (dining, living room and study) were placed to align with the centerline of the street directly to the east. oops.

[SDR]

Not to defend the work of the Aguars, but I suppose it's possible for their (dubious ?) assertion of alignment of the Bradley and Hickox houses, and Eifler's observed fact, to coexist ?

[SDR]

The authors make much of the outdoor recreational features at Bradley and Hickox. Pfeiffer did not publish a site plan of either house; I have never seen an image showing the formal landscape feature south of the Bradley house. Was it in fact constructed ?

S

[Roderick Grant]

DRN, I agree that Hickox is superior. Unfortunately, that scrappy little porch is still on the south side of the house. I have never seen a single photo of the interior at any point in the house's existence.

SDR, I believe that formal garden was never constructed.

[Tom]

When I was was there the dining room lights were not.
Worth another trip back just to see them.

[SDR]

[SDR]

Having indulged myself with a moonlight romance inspired by the Toshidas et al, I will come back to Earth with some orthodox illustrations.


© 1993 by William Allin Storrer



First, the dining room laylights that I guess Tom was referring to:










Wright's wall sections contain notes referring, four times, to 'planks': 'Detail of typical plank frame'; '2" plank wedged up tight beneath rafter'; 'Plank header'; 'Plank wedged in tight.' Maybe the restoration architect can enlighten me ?





Bill Swan has taken good photos of the house; here are three:









I wonder if Mr Wright placed a ceiling light fixture in the living room . . .

[Roderick Grant]

I cannot imagine that light fixture would have been chosen by FLW, nor that any fixture would have been used in that place. But it's there, so visitors will assume he was at fault. It's like the chandeliers in the living room and dining room, and the gravy boats in the gallery at Ennis: FLW had nothing to do with them, but it has to be pointed out, or visitors will make assumptions.

[loo tee]

One of the people convicted in the 1987 murder of Stephen Small, the friendly enthusiast who owned the Bradley house and was then restoring it, is still petitioning to be released from the penitentiary, the Chicago Tribune now reports.
The riffraff conspirators kidnapped Mr. Small, buried him alive with a breathing tube, and asked for $1 million ransom. The tube collapsed, and the kidnapping turned into murder.