Midway Gardens

Although it is not possible to visit the Midway Gardens since the building was demolished in 1929, theMetropolitan Museum in New York has one of the "sprite" sculptures by Alfonso Ianelli (see Storrer) on display. The building was intended to provide a haven from the city and had facilities for hosting both summer and winter parties. The Masterworks book has a nice two page write-up on it and it is referred to in Frank Lloyd Wright's Autobiography.

From a casual look at the drawings, Midway Gardens bears some resemblance to the Imperial Hotel, which was built not long after it in 1915.

There is a reproduction of this sprite available from the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust.

Avery Coonley Residence

The Metropolitan Museum in New York has three windows from the Coonley Playhouse. As stated by Thomas A. Heinz in his Frank Lloyd Wright: Glass Art book: "The playful, random quality of the positions of the lines and flashed glass is among the finest examples of abstract art by any artist."

Unfortunately, I only had a low-resolution digital camera with me and flash was not permitted in the museum. I'm taking a photography course and am planning to upgrade to a better camera soon....

The museum also has an exhibit of the living room from the Francis W. Little Residence.

Imperial Hotel

Alas, it is not possible to visit the Imperial Hotel since it was demolished in 1968. Frank Lloyd Wright was an admirer and collector of Japanese art, so it is especially a shame that his most significant work in Japan no longer exists. Although the text is Japanese, you can see a photograph (#67) of the reconstructed entrance to the Imperial Hotel at the Meiji-mura Museum web site. According to Storrer the lobby was reconstructed as well. 

I was surprised to see one of the stone urns from the Imperial Hotel on a visit to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The piece was very pitted, possibly because it was made from Oya stone, the soft lava block used in the construction of the hotel. This photograph of the urn was taken with a low-end digital camera. No flash is allowed in the Metropolitan Museum. 

The bookstore at Taliesin East has a couple of posters of the Imperial Hotel for sale. I have one framed and hanging in my office with a Cherokee red frame. 

It must have been a magnificent building in its day. The book Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel has many black-and-white photographs and some interesting commentary. 

Drawing of Imperial Hotel (poster)

The official Fallingwater website has pillows designed for the Imperial Hotel for sale in the Museum Shop.

Francis W. Little Residence II, Living Room

Living room reconstructed, 1972 - Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

I was in New York for a business meeting and afterwards managed to slip in a quick visit theMetropolitan Museum to view the living room of the Little Residence. The reconstruction was done with one of the walls facing an exterior wall of the museum so the room was mostly illuminated with natural light. I was struck by how peaceful the space was when I entered the room.

Being somewhat familiar with his work now I was able to pick out traits that are common to many of his designs. Horizontal lines are evident throughout. Indirect lighting is used extensively. The brickwork has the vertical gaps filled in so that the horizontal is emphasized. I had thought this was a technique used later in his Usonian houses, but evidently this was used earlier in his Prairie houses. The exterior of the living room was reconstructed in the museum as well so the overhang that brings the exterior into the house prior to actually entering the house could be experienced. This reminded me of the transition from the entryway to the living room in the Pope-Leighey Residence.

There are a few additional Wright artifacts at the museum including items from the Imperial Hotel, theCoonley Residence, and Midway Gardens. I did not have much time to shop in the gift shop, but my inquiry about Wright-related items drew a blank. If you are visiting do your research up front concerning any souvenirs you might want. They can probably be ordered by phone or from their web site anyway.

The photos are very poor since I only had a low-end digital camera with me and flash photography is not allowed in the museum. Notice that the original furniture and fixtures were included in the room.

Overall a great "Wright experience" — if you are in the area don't miss it!