Taliesin, Through Guerrero’s Lens

When Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin Was New: Photos from 1912

The Wisconsin Historical Society recently acquired a series of photos of AIA Gold Medalist <a href='http://info.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek09/1016/1016d_fallingwater.cfm'>Frank Lloyd Wright’s</a> Taliesin, near Spring Green, Wis., some of which have never been seen before or studied by Wright scholars and academics. In this image-- the southeast elevation of Taliesin in the winter of 1912. Construction debris is still scattered around the base of the building. All images courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Pedro E. Guerrero retains exclusive copyright ownership of the images in this slide show. Images may not be downloaded, copied, or reproduced in any way without the photographer's express written permission.

Here, the entrance loggia and kitchen windows from the courtyard of the house and studio.

The dining room in Taliesin. Several pieces of Asian art decorate the space, indicating that this photo was taken after Wright began working on the Imperial Hotel in Japan from 1919 to 1924.

The Taliesin hayloft as seen from the courtyard. A cow and a calf can be seen through the passageway under the hayloft. Most of these photos were taken around 1912 by the Chicago photographer Clarence Fuermann, just after Taliesin was completed.

The Taliesin courtyard garden looking toward the hill garden. The statue, "Flower in a Crannied Wall" rests on top of a stone wall.

The Taliesin courtyard looking southeast towards the living room wing from the hayloft. The <a href='http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/'>Wisconsin Historical Society</a> obtained the photos after an antique shop owner placed them on eBay.

The Taliesin courtyard from the "brow" of the hill looking toward the entry loggia. <a href='http://www.savewright.org/'>The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy</a> took the lead on purchasing the photos for a single public institution, with help from the Wright Wisconsin Heritage Tourism Program.

The view from the courtyard of Taliesin looking towards the residence, including the porte-cochere and the piers of the entrance loggia. Twenty-eight donors contributed money to make the purchase possible, ensuring that the images would be kept together and available to the public.

Taliesin’s north elevation and loggia terrace. The living room chimney and windows are in the background. The terrace walls are made of rubble masonry.

The gardens and pastures below the southeast side of Taliesin.

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