Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer: 1930-2017

Rood · Post by **Rood** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 3:25 pm

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

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:11 pm

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 · Post by **Tom** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:18 pm

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

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:26 pm

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

m.perrino · Post by **m.perrino** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 4:34 pm

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 · Post by **SpringGreen** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 6:06 pm

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.

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Sun Dec 31, 2017 10:23 pm

This sadly marks the end of an era.

Those will be big shoes to fill...

Mark Hertzberg · Post by **Mark Hertzberg** » Mon Jan 01, 2018 9:32 am

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

Mark Hertzberg

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:22 pm

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

David

SREcklund · Post by **SREcklund** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 6:58 pm

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.

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 9:21 pm

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 · Post by **Rood** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 10:02 pm

Matt wrote: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.

Now that virtually every scrap of paper that ever existed at Taliesin is in the hands of historians, it would seem you need no longer worry, too much, about things stuffed under rugs.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 10:03 pm

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 · Post by **SREcklund** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:14 pm

It will be interesting to see his new book on OLW once it's released. Should go a long way to talking about "objectivity".

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:29 pm

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