The Martin House's Reintegration of Art Glass Continues

[Paul Ringstrom]

https://martinhouse.org/reintegration-o ... continues/

[Roderick Grant]

Imagine that house with all of the art glass gone, nothing but plain plate. That was what it was mostly when I saw it in '85. Naked.

[SDR]

Even naked it would be a magnificent house. But the phrase "gilding the lily" isn't heard when discussing Wright's "light screens": the more Wright the better (as long as he put it there himself) seems to be the universal sentiment.

In that vein, I'm sorry to have to say that I regret the post-Wright additions (or behind-his-back emulations) that a few owners---original and not---have seen fit to adorn their houses with. Prairie-period stained glass just doesn't belong in a Wright Usonian house, when it is installed as if original to the property---as I see it. A panel displayed as a work of art is okay; more than that evokes some latter-day mish-mash of Wrightian motifs found in an ill-conceived 'Prairie House" Mc Mansion.

S

[Roderick Grant]

I wonder if Russell Kraus sent a letter to FLW: " Frank, I've designed some nifty Prairie art glass windows for my Usonian house. Do you mind if I use them?" FLW: "Well ... OK, go ahead."

[pmahoney]

http://www.wnyhistory.org/portfolios/mo ... ights.html

[DavidC]

Thanks for posting this, Pat. A wonderful story of a 'recovery'. The windows look magnificent back in their proper place.


David