Wright Chat

[SDR]

There's a picture of it on this page:

http://www.thedemocratictravelers.com/blog/price-tower

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armillary_sphere

S

[DRN]

When I visited in March 1992, I saw the sundial. It had a plaque with FLW’s birth and death years. My assumption was that the Price company or HC had the sundial placed as a memorial ca. 1959-60.
I have an armillary sundial from my father’s yard. It is more precise than a plate dial as the thin gnomon shadow coupled with the curved hour band allows reading of the early and late hours of the day without distortion. The opposing crescent casts shadows as the solstices approach to mark maximum and minimum sun declination.

[SDR]

How does one place the sundial properly ? Is there a North arrow or other mark ? Does the sundial work at any latitude ?

S

[Roderick Grant]

From a print ad for Skippy Peanut Butter with Hermione Gingold:

"Peanut Butter, did you say?" asked Miss Gingold, tickling us coquettishly with the end of her boa. "Why, my dear, I haven't touched the stuff since I was a wee babe. Except once, before the War, I believe I used some peanut butter to patch a crack in the sundial." Well, we were undaunted. And as soon as we cashed another check, Miss Gingold consented to try a dab of Skippy. "Bless you," she cooed. "Why, Skippy does not taste at all like peanut butter. It tastes like fine, fresh-roasted peanuts. The kind senile noblemen frequently fling at my feet with gay abandon. I am decidedly in favor of Skippy."

(It helps if you remember Hermione.)

[DRN]

In the northern hemisphere, a sundial is always oriented with its gnomon pointing to true north. Armillary dials are adjustable to allow the gnomon to point to the North Star. A flat plate dial is set level and an angular gnomon closely matching the location’s latitude angle is set pointing toward true north.

[chen1947]

If anyone wanted to add the Arizona Magazine to their collection.Its a great issue showing several Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Arizona.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ARIZONA-HIGHWAYS-FEB-1956-ISSUE-FRANK-LLOYD-WRIGHT-V-GOOD-11466/372701523121?hash=item56c6bdecb1:g:H6IAAOSwoI5dFi~e

[SDR]

Got it. Thanks !

I wonder if anyone here has every periodical that featured Wright... I've got a long way to go, on that list.

S

[Roderick Grant]

I bought almost all Arizona Highways that feature FLW in one shop at once for 25 cents apiece. I believe I am missing just one issue from the '40s. The magazine I have never seen is the issue of Time with FLW on the cover.

[JimM]

Didn't think the '38 Time was that rare, and surprised to see it listed a few places in the mid $200-$300 range.

It's a rather nice almost laudatory 3 page article, concise and complete about everything Wright to date, with a few photos including the Hedrich showing Wright at a studio table with the original crew in rapt attention around him. Basically a "rebirth" piece. The other photos are of the Imperial, Taliesin at the time, Fallingwater, Johnson Wax, and the "packing-box desert camp" (?)... which interestingly is of Ocatillo, not TWest). I like the way, for the cover, Wright couldn't help placing an Asian sculpture between him and the rendering of Fallingwater over his shoulder.

So how bad do you want it, Roderick?
(Just kidding! I couldn't replace it for the $35 I paid for it). But you can actually buy the cover from Time for $20...

[Roderick Grant]

JimM, I will trade you for my Neutra Time cover.

[JimM]

Nope.

[Jeff Myers]

Does anyone have a copy of the “The story of the tower” dated 1956?
_________________
JAT
Jeff T

[DRN]

I photocopied and bound a copy of Story of the Tower from an original borrowed from a college library....I still have it.

[Jeff Myers]

DRN is it possible to scan the photos?
I am planning to finish my model of the tower but with the original set of plans I’m confused as to what was built and what was not built.
_________________
JAT
Jeff T

[Rood]