Highly influential American architect (1867–1959) whose mastery of space, form, and human-centered design revolutionized the field of architecture and earned him a place among the greatest thinkers and artists of the twentieth century. TLS, two pages, 8 x 12.5, August 29, 1936. Letter to Walter J. Hall: Kaufmann’s Bear Run Camp. In full: “I guess I took too much for granted when I called you on to the Kaufmann house. Probably you have always been your own boss, never worked for an architect and never heard of ethics. At any rate it appears from Bob’s letters that you are undertaking to advise Kaufmann concerning various matters that are certainly my business and none of yours and this tardy letter from you shows that it is by no accident on your part but is your habit of mind. What proves this to me is your reference to Bob ‘not getting any money out of the job’, while you Kaufmann and I are–say you.” Bob Mosher was one of Wright’s apprentices and the supervising architect on the construction site.
“Well, if Bob is any good he is getting far more than money out of it. In any case I would save you further anxiety on his behalf by reminding you that it is exactly none of your damned business no matter which way you may look at it. As for myself, I shall get so much less than no money out of this house that I prefer not to be mentioned in that connection with Kaufmann and yourself. When I sent for you I hoped to find real help in getting a difficult building built for a difficult client. But it seems to me now I sent for you only to find I have a greater difficulty than either client or building in the man I picked to be my right-bower. I saw ‘back down the line’ as I read your brief and tardy (and impertinent) letter. As I learn what has happened to our plans and details as they have been sent to Bob I see that I am trouble. I have therefore called Bob back here until some basis for mutual respect between myself and Mr. Kaufmann is reestablished. You are now included in this armistice if such it proves to be. If you imagine your meddlesome attitude to be either sensible or honest (we will not say ethical) something was left out of either your character or your education. I have put too much into this house (even money, which item you will understand) to have it miscarry by mischievous interferences of any sort. The kind of buildings I build don’t happen that way. Several have been ruined that way, however. And this one may be one of them. It is only fair to say to you directly that you will either fish or cut bait or I will. I am willing to quit if I must but unwilling to go with my eyes open into the failure of my work. With a set up such as the present one turns out to be there can be only failure. I have not built one hundred and ninety of the world’s important buildings without knowing the look of the thing when it turns up on the job. Failure, I mean, by way of treachrous interference.” Wright has made several small ink corrections to the letter.
Accompanied by an original 36 x 21 blueprint for Wright’s Fallingwater, titled “Guest Wing ‘Fallingwater’ Frank Lloyd Wright Architect” captioned “showing distance from back wall at bridge to back wall of guest wing Scale ¼" = 1' – 0.” Reverse of the blueprint bears a pencil sketch, which seems to be a portion of the upper right drawing on the blueprint which did not have dimensions. On the drawing on the reverse, which quite possibly was drawn by Wright, the dimensions have been added and have been approved by Wright who has initialled the drawing in pencil: “F L W.”
The letters are individually matted and framed to overall sizes of 13 x 17.5, and both are attached by hinges to the edges of a 40 x 25.5 frame which holds the blueprint. Uniform toning to letters, storage folds to blueprint, as well as some scattered light soiling and staining, otherwise fine condition.
Fallingwater was commissioned Edgar J. Kaufmann, owner of Kaufmann’s Department Store in Pittsburgh. He owned land in the mountains 50 miles southeast of the city and his son, Edgar, Jr., convinced him to hire Wright to design a country house on the property. After nine months of study, Wright unveiled his proposal: a cantilevered stone and concrete structure straddling the falls of Bear Run, the creek running through the property.
Construction began in 1936, but was hindered when the first contractor walked off the job, claiming that Wright’s design—which often relied on specifications that were incomplete and occasionally wrong—could not be built. Edgar, Jr. discovered Walter Hall while traveling when he heard of an eccentric builder constructing a structure of similar materials atop a hill. Hall accepted their $50-a-week offer and took over the project in July 1936.
Wright was away from the site for months at a time and his plans for Fallingwater were often far from detailed, leaving Hall to improvise. Having finished pouring support piers for the living room, Hall sent a prickly letter to the architect, writing: “I put them where I thought they ought to be on account of there’s no dimensions on your drawing.” Hall continued to fill in the gaps where needed, such as adding reinforcement to what he considered dangerously weak concrete, and in fact altering the plans to add flourishes of his own to the building. By all accounts, Hall had an ego to match Wright’s, and as the weeks progressed, their clashes became increasingly dramatic. But despite Wright’s tirades against Hall, the architect recognized his invaluable work on Fallingwater and offered him a job at Taliesin after construction. Hall had enough of Wright, however, and the two parted ways.
These two documents—a harshly critical letter from Wright to his contractor and an original blueprint of Fallingwater—stand among the most important records of American architectural history. The letter to the builder of Fallingwater epitomizes Wright’s notorious ego and exacting standards, providing insight into the construction of his greatest work. Likely used on site, this blueprint is one of a kind, with hand-drawn alterations and Wright’s penciled initials approving the modifications. Today, Fallingwater is considered by many to be the best work in the history of American architecture, making the blueprint offered here one of the most desirable architectural manuscripts in existence. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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