Marc Lawrence wrote:
>> Paul Braun wrote:
>> [...]
>> It's a fascinating house - timeless design. It was built
>> between 1908 and 1910, yet it looks like it could have
>> been built in 1978...
>
> Paul, do you have a very tidy mind, and thus a reason for
> being so chronologically specific, or did you just pull a
> "late 70's" year out of your head? That is, why 1978?
>
> The house looks magnificent, and I have a strong, if fairly
> superfical and uneducated, interest in architecture, and
> I think FLW was a genius, so I *am* honestly curious. :-)
>
Oh, no. There's absolutely nothing tidy about my mind, my house, or my
garage.
I just pulled a late 70's number randomly. For some reason, that's the
year I usually toss out to tour groups. It's funny - the houses up the
street are contemporaries to Robie House - and they definitely look like
100-year-old houses. RH stuck out like a brilliant sore thumb back
then, and it still does. It's surrounded by Italianate, Georgian,
Victorian and Queen Anne, and the Gothic buildings of the university.
Wright was usually so far ahead of his time, that people just couldn't
accept him during his lifetime.
It is magnificent. Interior is more of the iron-spotted Roman brick,
stone, rough sanded plaster, and oak. Very open, flowing floor plan,
lots of light.
I started there after a bad experience. My wife and I had just taken a
4-hour walking tour of Wright's estate, Taliesin, in Spring Green,
Wisconsin. Our guide was brilliant - knew stories, had met and talked
to relatives and former Fellowship members. Made history come alive.
And then we toured Robie House, and our interpreter was obviously bored,
barely knew the facts she was trying to recite, and really left us
feeling cheated.
I was going to write and complain, then I realized the more productive
thing to do was to go through training and become a volunteer myself and
do a better job. I'm very conversational, bring some humour and
storytelling skills into the tour, and read one hell of a lot of
Wright-related books. I also tour as many houses and buildings as I can
so I have experience and reference points when people ask me questions.
As it turns out, I really enjoy what I'm doing, and I get to meet
people from all over the world every time I do it. Plus, I get to watch
the restoration progress, and I get to go to non-public areas of the
house to explore.
By the way - did you know that it was only a private residence for the
first 16 years? Most of its history has been in more or less public hands.
--
Paul Braun
Valparaiso, IN
"There's a fine line between stupid, and clever." - David St. Hubbins
"Enjoy every sandwich." - Warren Zevon
"The Fountain of Youth is a state of mind." - The Ides of March
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