Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Early Period, 1893-1909 Book

In his foreword, Vincent Scully states that the three most important publications concerning twentieth century architecture are Le Corbusier's Vers Une Architecture, Robert Venturi's Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, and Ausgeführte Bauten und Entwürfe von Frank Lloyd Wright, of which this is a facsimile. The importance of this work is the primary reason why I chose to read it.

First, the reason I chose to read this particular reproduction of the Wasmuth Portfolio is that this facsimile appears to be the closest of those that were published in book form. This book is the largest (although still reduced from the original size) and the original numbering of the plates is maintained. Another worthwhile addition is Scully's introduction. In this he reflects on the influence of the Wasmuth Portfolio, the influence of Wright's work in Europe, and Wright's success (or lack thereof) in developing an architecture that best utilized the machine's abilities and reflected its use. He also briefly compares it to the books of Le Corbusier and Venturi.

The only shortcoming worth noting is that the paper used to produce this book is somewhat translucent; however, the plates are only printed on one side (like the original), so a sheet of paper can be slipped under each page. Two traits that will irritate some readers is the separation of the plate descriptions from the plates themselves (requiring much page turning) and the use of German terms in the drawings to describe features (there's a brief glossary of terms preceding the plates). There are 22 numbered pages and 100 numbered plates that are printed in sepia tone. Drawing types, from most to least frequent, are: floor plans, exterior perspectives, interior perspectives, detail drawings, sections (very few), and elevations (also very few). All of the drawings are hardline. Most projects and buildings are covered with at least one exterior perspective and floor plan.

There are primarily two groups of readers who will benefit from studying this work: serious enthusiasts of Wright's work and serious enthusiasts of architecture and/or architectural history. The general reader will likely be disappointed unless he or she is specifically searching for Wright's drawings. Another book about Wright's work, of almost equal importance, is The Work of Frank Lloyd Wright: the Wendingen Edition. Currently, this is the most affordable edition that is similar to the original.

A digital copy of the original Wasmuth Portfolio is available at