Graycliff---FLW as Graphic Designer, Part II

(This is the second of a three part brief look at Frank Lloyd Wright's Graphic Artistry.)

     In Wright's Autobiography, he speaks of the smell of printer's ink and the small press he had as a boy in Wisconsin. His boyhood pursuits an an amateur printer in graphic designs development echoed his architectural vocation.

     One sees his early efforts to control every aspect in his life projects. In an article in the Frank Lloyd Wright  Quarterly (Winter 2006 issue) it states that "early evidence of Wright's interest in the "house beautiful" is the project he under took in the winter of 1896 with William Winslow -- the printing book form of  a sermon by William Gannet. The House Beautiful was printed by Auvergne Press of River Forest,IL,a private press in Winslow's house. Wright's contribution was the book's design, with distinctive elaborate linear patterns of geometric and conventionalized naturalistic motifs forming a deep frame around a relatively small area of text on each page."

In his early career, Wright designed his own letterhead/stationery.logo. Soon afterwards, his use of the red square logo, with many variations, was seen.

He also designed poster, programs , as well as many architectural presentations. Wright designed them using the latest technologies of the time, taking advantage of emerging trends.  By the 1920's he had developed a typeface distinctively his own.

Penny Fowler writes,"Wright's graphic artistry spanned a lifetime, demonstrating that his genius was not exclusive to architecture,but extended to bring his vision into every aspect of the printed arts" (1)

P22 Foundry, a Buffalo, NY firm, has developed several fonts based on Wright's graphic design.(2 ) These include Eaglefeather,  an open face type.   Eagle Feather was designed by Wright for a project entitled "Eagle Rock" in 1922. Although the project was never built,  the lettering used for the drawing was adapted by P22 to become Eaglefeather.

Chicago Midway Garden 1913 lettering shows his personality. with its decorative border elements and motifs. (See P22 Type Foundry for examples.)

Perhaps just us researching and reading more about Wright's intellectual thinking will help us to enter the zeitgeist of the time..

Footnotes

1)  Frank Lloyd Wright, Graphic Artist, Penny Fowler, Pomegranate Press, 2002,  page 124

2) P22 Foundry Eaglefeather

Guess Who Got Married? And Gardens Galore!

Newly Married

Long-time docent Antoinette Forth married Don Snyder over the weekend....and she brought her whole family to Graycliff for a tour!  Congratulations from all of us at Graycliff, Anton!

Gardens Galore

Marion Schmidt, who has been a volunteer leader at Graycliff in several capacities, and who remembers the OLD giftshop (now demolished) which featured visits from snakes as well as visitors, now has a major new accomplishment:  she created a tour specifically focusing on Graycliff's Historic Landscape.  After leading several practice tours for garden clubs and groups, she shared her knowledge with Carol and Jerry Wahlenmayer, and they all led a special tour created especially for the Buffalo Garden Walk by Sally Cunningham.

If you are interested in learning more about this, too, please let us know.

Graycliff News.....

All kinds of things have been happening at Graycliff....a big shout out to all volunteers, and especially docents, for leading tours during high season!

Tom Browne always goes above and beyond...thank you for repairing the light above the front entry, Tom!  (And that's in between leading tours, and as always, maintaining our vacuum cleaners!)

We'd like to introduce Dan Vucic, a new staff member, who is giving us much needed help with mowing and maintenance.  A resident of Angola, Dan brings many years of skilled experience with him to Graycliff.  (We'll take his photo soon!)

Winners of the Goya Beans raffle were:  Marion Schmidt and Kathy Mehltretter.  If you've ever wanted to tell them that they are full of beans, now is the time!

Last but not least, we have some good news to report...which will have an impact of many of you.  For many decades, there has been a gas well behind the two little sheds near the parking lot.  We believe it was installed by the Fathers.  The well has been capped, but not plugged.  With the cost of gas rising, we recently had the well checked out, and as it turns out, it produces enough gas to heat the Pavilion...and possibly more.  We'll see over this coming winter.  The gas well will be uncapped, and gas lines laid adjacent to the parking lot, running to the side of the Pavilion where gas enters the building.  This means that these areas will be torn up in the near future...but this should save us substantially this year and the years to come.  So please bear with us!

Thanks for all you do for Graycliff!