Rare Taliesin I and II Photographic Proofs Acquired

An exceptional collection of early photographic proofs of Taliesin, architect Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin home and studio outside of Spring Green, provides a rare glimpse of the structure in its earliest incarnations. Wright redesigned and rebuilt Taliesin numerous times during his lifetime. These changes, whether a result of fire or an outgrowth of Wright's ever-evolving philosophy about domestic architecture, often went undocumented photographically - especially the earliest iterations of the building, Taliesin I (1911-1914) and Taliesin II (1915-1924). These photographs document the celebrated structure from late 1911 to circa 1924.

Documenting Wright's First Designs for Taliesin

These 25 rare vintage photographic proofs document Wright's first design for his residence and studio, Taliesin I, as well as how he redesigned a portion of the structure after the residence was destroyed in a fire in 1914. The earliest image is a view of Taliesin I in winter, probably late 1911, while the building was still under construction with later images showing how the building, known as Taliesin II, looked between 1915 and 1924 prior to a second fire that again destroyed the living room portion of the residence. These images not only document the building itself, but also show Taliesin's relationship to the surrounding landscape, something Wright often spoke and wrote about when discussing architecture.