Wright Chat

[Rood]

Indira Berndtson called a moment ago to say Oskar Munoz just informed her that Bruce died this morning at a hospital in Scottsdale.

[SDR]

Ah. Well, there's a loss to Wrightdom. Bruce was the indispensable figure who took on the enormous and unenviable task of curatorship of the Wright archive, over a period of decades, and saw to the publication of much material from that priceless collection.

I am glad that he was able to see the archive move on to appropriate permanent custody before he left the scene.

SDR

[Tom]

Well, ... thanks for letting the forum know.
"Nothing is here to stay" FLLW
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Nothing lasts forever
FLLW

[Roderick Grant]

Sad. Bruce was a charming, shy man, who shall be missed.

[m.perrino]

This is very sad news. Bruce was always very kind to me. The very archives itself were saved by him, to which he devoted his lifes work. Another strong foot solider, in the Cause of Organic Architecture, is gone. May his memory be a blessing, for all time. R.I.P.

[SpringGreen]

I just read about his death on facebook. I'm sorry I didn't get to see him the last time I was in AZ a couple of months ago. He did a great job organizing FLW's work into a collection.

I hope he has a fun time in the afterlife with the Wrights & all of his dogs.
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"The building as architecture is born out of the heart of man, permanent consort to the ground, comrade to the trees, true reflection of man in the realm of his own spirit." FLLW, "Two Lectures in Architecture: in the Realm of Ideas".

[peterm]

This sadly marks the end of an era.

Those will be big shoes to fill...

[Mark Hertzberg]

I have just posted a collection of photos I took of Bruce, including his first visit to Wingspread, to www.wrightinracine.com

Mark Hertzberg
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Mark Hertzberg

[DavidC]

Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, Frank Lloyd Wright scholar, former apprentice, dies


David

[SREcklund]

We should all be so fortunate as to leave behind a legacy such as BBP's. His creation and organization of the Wright Archives, and his research and publishing on Wright and his works, will benefit many a future generation. Lord knows it's benefitted me.
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Docent, Hollyhock House - Hollywood, CA
Humble student of the Master

"Youth is a circumstance you can't do anything about. The trick is to grow up without getting old." - Frank Lloyd Wright

[Matt]

He did a lot of good work, no question....but...he also may have swept some stuff under the rug that historians might have liked to see.

[Rood]

[SDR]

That may or may not be the case, Matt -- do you have examples in mind ? -- but I would be interested to know whether study would show that there was a difference in degree of deference to Mr Wright on Bruce's part during the two periods of his life at Taliesin: that before and that after the departure of Olgivanna Wright.

Comparison of notes to the work found in the Monographs, to those in the Taschen volumes, would be one object of study. I can't say I've noticed a marked difference in objectivity, there, to date . . . though there may be hints of it. The text of "Treasures of Taliesin" tends toward the obeisant; the failure of unbuilt projects (the content of the book) is placed at the door of short-sighted or unadventurous clients, as often as not.

SDR

[SREcklund]

It will be interesting to see his new book on OLW once it's released. Should go a long way to talking about "objectivity".
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Docent, Hollyhock House - Hollywood, CA
Humble student of the Master

"Youth is a circumstance you can't do anything about. The trick is to grow up without getting old." - Frank Lloyd Wright

[SDR]

Hmm. Maybe it would be useful to know if either of the parties was a believer in the life hereafter. Maybe one is never really out from under the thumb . . . ?

SDR