Video: Midway Gardens - w/ Spyros Papapetros

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Sat Jan 12, 2019 1:51 pm

Frank Lloyd Wright | HOW TO SEE Midway Gardens with Spyros Papapetros - [4:41]

David

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 11:37 am

Very well done.

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 2:03 pm

I have never seen the drawing of the Hollyhock furniture. It would have helped in my work on the living room couches, but apparently Taliesin kept it to themselves. For the overstuffed chair that is to be replicated this year, having that drawing would be helpful.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sun Jan 13, 2019 7:51 pm

Okay, forget that . . . most enlightening. I've collected what there was to record by way of documents . . . always at a premium,
of course, considering their intrinsic and practical value, in what passes for scholarship, here -- where I am concerned, anyway !

(The sheet has "Residence A" written at the top, and again below -- doesn't it ? These are simple and unmeasured elevations
of furniture, more of a visual list or catalog, rather than shop or construction documents.)

S

SREcklund · Post by **SREcklund** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 9:39 am

Roderick Grant wrote:I have never seen the drawing of the Hollyhock furniture. It would have helped in my work on the living room couches, but apparently Taliesin kept it to themselves. For the overstuffed chair that is to be replicated this year, having that drawing would be helpful.

I know that Jeffrey Herr has been to the Avery Library a couple of times since the archive was 'unpacked', but I've never heard what he found. The fact that we are now actively restoring the overstuffed chair, and recently created a pair of reproduction dining room chairs for visitors to interact with tells me that furniture drawings were likely among the finds ...

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 9:48 am

". . . and recently created a pair of reproduction dining room chairs for visitors to interact with . . ."

Bravo ! I've been waiting for that; I wonder if this is a first . . .

S

Meisolus · Post by **Meisolus** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 10:38 am

It would have helped in my work on the living room couches

What work did you do Roderick?

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 12:24 pm

Using early b/w photographs, taken with a fisheye lens, and free-hand drawings by RMS, I drew the plans for the living room furniture reproductions.

Meisolus · Post by **Meisolus** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 2:34 pm

I am always loathe to promote myself, but you'll just have to forgive me this once. Hopefully someday you will be able to experience Midway Gardens again. I haven't worked on it in years, but have started back up somewhat. I'm actually further along than this (pretty old) video shows, but it should give you an idea.

And I don't want to hear anything about the mural not being the right mural for the Garden Club. I am well aware and was before I started on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSo1NTPQ2tw

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 4:59 pm

What a loss Midway was. Odd that the pattern for the cast concrete blocks seems to be much more sophisticated and interesting than any of the 4 textile blocks done a decade later.

I won't say anything about the mural, but at 1:27, there is a shot of a staircase with a standard angled handrail, so unlike FLW. Where did you get that?

Meisolus · Post by **Meisolus** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:11 pm

I agree with you Roderick. Unfortunately, I don't have any information on it other than a plan. I keep things simple until I have more information. I'm open to suggestions.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Mon Jan 14, 2019 9:41 pm

Read it and weep: sketches, of perhaps the most anodyne of Wrightian furniture from the horse's mouth (presumably -- or would this be RMS ?)

Sheet number 2006.12 ? Hollyhock house is 1705; Res A, 2002; Res B, 2003; Theater, 2005; Little Dipper, 2301 . . .

"Residence A" can be read at the far left upper corner in the first image, behind the white title: