Falling for Fallingwater!

On an evening long, long ago when our brilliant, 20-ish-month-old Ava had difficulty falling asleep, she and I stayed awake together and settled for passing the time with a documentary focusing upon the accomplishments of Frank Lloyd Wright. (OK, maybe the entertainment choice was more mine than hers!) I have always been fascinated with the work of the great architect...but it was really late, and I started to fade a bit on the couch while baby Ava remained rapt as ever. When the program began to discuss his perhaps greatest work, "Fallingwater", I was seriously losing the consciousness battle...but DID notice Ava slip out from under our shared blanket and leave the couch. I listened as she searched through the bookcase behind the couch, telling myself, "I'll go get her if she leaves the room". She banged around back there, obviously searching for something for a while...Then returned, proudly producing the fruit of her search: A beautiful book of photos of Wright's Fallingwater house that had been a gift from my mother, at least a year before! I was amazed that she'd so easily made such a sophisticated association between the book and our documentary at SUCH a young age. We'd used the book during her before-sleep, "read'n time" at least once before...as we regularly did with magazines, newspapers, novels, histories, art books...whatever...and I realized that night that I may have misunderstood the degree to which all of it was 'sinking-in'!

This was a major moment for me...and read'n time stepped up a notch after that.

Well, this Christmas Ava's gift to me was a tour for we two, at 'Fallingwater'...We took that tour this week...and I'm never forgetting it!

This is my own photo, taken with my phone's old-ass, S-9 camera and is perhaps THE most beautiful photograph I have ever taken in my life. (...this model can obviously not be made to look bad by even the most amateurish photographer!)

But if you like that photo...look at THIS one!!

Ava accepted a job in Philadelphia last October and has been learning her new city since then. Below is a photo of Ava working as a merchandising, 'stylist' in her company's web and catalog photo studio, which is in Urban Outfitters' corporate offices, in Philly's famous Navy Yard, business district. This was my first opportunity to visit her in her new diggs and to see and experience her 'new world'. Here Ava is styling merchandise for marketing images in an atmosphere made VERY familiar to her throughout her life, as a frequent visitor to her legendary, art directing mother's sets. (Note the deft use of a classic 'Seattle Super-Sonics' sweatshirt on this studio-day!)

Below is a photo the entry gate at the Famous Philadelphia 'Navy Yard' business park. This ship-building yard was originally constructed upon orders from George Washington and continued producing military ships for almost 200 years, including the Washington, Wisconsin and the New Jersey battleships, after the outset of WWII. Ava's actual building is among a group built here in the 1870s from plans designed, strangely enough by Robert Peary, the architect, who is best known as leader of the first successful exploration effort to reach the North Pole. (While Ava was working, I was googling. It's a disorder.)

I arrived in Philly on Thursday, visited the studio right from the airport, then spent Friday on my own, discovering the downtown area, with which I was a bit familiar, from 2 previous visits less than a decade ago.

Obviously, a "Cheese-Steak" has to be experienced first, when in Philly. This one came from 'Spataro's', which has been perfecting their offering for 75 years. This counter is in the famous 'Reading Market' in the center of town. The manager here openly reports that his version of the famous sandwich is, "Third Best in Town"!

Philly's great! Most blocks in the downtown area feature some kind of historical curio...The people are friendly and proud of their town and there's always something going on.

Here's a poorly lighted photo of Independence Hall, obviously famous for hosting the 'First Continental Congress' and the signing of the 'Declaration of Independence'. I learned during the trip that an INDIRECT Lukens ancestor, 'Isiah Lukens' was designer/developer of clocks featured in this building's tower. Our family are directly descended from his grandfather, Jan Leuken, who actually arrived in Philadelphia, pre-revolution with William Penn. I have visited this historic section of town before...but felt the same excitement at being here as each time before!

Now back to falling water! I spent some time refreshing my knowledge of the world's most significant house design, before the trip...and concentrated upon the family that commissioned Wright's most famous work: the Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh, PA.

Here at right is a framed photo of the Kaufmann family, taken in 1936, soon after they'd begun to visit the new, beautiful home they'd commissioned Wright to build for them. The photo sits now, as always on a desk in Fallingwater's bedroom of Edgar J. Kaufman. (Shown at left in the photo) "E.J." Kaufman was the second-generation president of Kaufmann's Department Store, which was a well established, Pittsburgh institution. His son Edgar Kaufmann junior (he preferred the lower case, "jr." for some reason...) shown here at center, was originator of the family's relationship to Wright, as he had interest in attending Wright's 'Taliesin' school of design in Spring Green, Wisconsin. I have read enough about 'junior' at this point to REALLY admire him for many reasons! Edgar junior's mother Liliane Kaufmann also worked for the family business, and is credited most with the shift she and EJ made toward identifying 'Kaufmann's' as an exceptionally high end merchant. She traveled the world in search of elegant merchandise which quickly changed the perception of 'Kaufmann's' to an unsurpassed vendor of exceptional, high design goods. The Kaufmanns had long owned the Fallingwater site and used it among other uses as a weekend camp/retreat for their store's management team. Pittsburgh was horribly polluted by unchecked industry in those days making weekend escapes from the soot-filled atmosphere necessary for all. After being propositioned with the design project, Wright visited the site and began immediately to consider it's possibilities. Nearly 2 years passed, as he mulled his concept, before EJ called him one day. He was in the area and asked if he could stop by Wright's office to see the progress that'd been made toward the master's plans. Legend has it that Wright sat at that moment, with about 2 hours before his client's arrival by car and committed his design to vellum in it's entirety for the first time before the client's arrival.

These drawings were presented to Kaufmann when he arrived at Wright's offices at Taliesin East on that August afternoon in 1934. Kaufmann LOVED it all!

When building began, 18 months were necessary to complete the magnificent house.

Here's a photo of the house under construction. Wright's Cantilevered design...especially that of the large, principal suite's gigantic concrete deck was revolutionary. So much so that Kaufmann, a solid veteran commissioner of architecture, worried and actually went behind Wright's back to seek consultation from an outside firm to consider his fear that the design was lacking support for the great weight of the massive cantilevers. Wright was furious and apparently stood firmly behind the integrity of his own design...and the project stood temporarily in danger of never happening. Kaufmann relented, but it became clear during the 2002, dramatic restoration of the house that Wright clearly HAD altered his design, partially heeding the consultation's suggestions for strengthening the cantilever designs some time before initial construction began! Wright, himself compared the design of the house and its previously unheard of cantilevers to that of a simple, 'dresser with drawers'. The body of the 'dresser' must be of sufficient weight itself, to counteract the weight of an 'open drawer' extending away from that body, in the form of the broad, concrete decks. That 'weight' was supplied by locally quarried 'Pottsville Sandstone', which more than suitably supports the rebar-reinforced concrete used to form the house's decks.

Here at right is my close-up photo of an example of the sandstone and it's mortar. The 'masons' were clearly very skilled and the consistency of the texture of the stone portions of the house is stunning. The depth of the mortar is remarkably consistent throughout the interior and exterior of the house. (Note that it's mentioned early in the tour that visitors are invited to touch and support one's self by leaning on any protrusion of stone whilst negotiating the narrow passageways and steep stairways inside the house.)

The photo at left shows the difference between the weighty sandstone (the 'dresser') and the molded concrete (the 'opened drawers') which make Wright's design work. Here you can also see the beautiful 'Cherokee Red' metal details used by Wright for the windows and doors and other details of his design. The central 'tower' of the design, shown here is the central support for the house and rises three stories, with each level featuring cantilevered decks extending from the central weight of the house, in separate directions.

When first entering the great room of the house, one is taken by the highly waxed, natural stone floors, which mirror the look of the wet stones in the Bear Run creek running below the house. Raised and un-waxed stones near the fireplace have the look of protruding stones one would hop between, to remain above the stream's waterline. Wright regularly designed his spaces' furniture as well. I have heard it said that he did so to, "client-proof" the beauty of his home designs. I asked our guide about this and he dismissed the quote as an example of Wright's "humor", which regularly had him "defending himself" later.

My favorite design element in the great room is the opening staircase allowing access directly to the stream above the falls that begins by opening the doors shown here at left.

The stairs lead to a platform just above the stream, that begs a visitor or resident to sit there and dangle feet in the stream on a hot day. Its hard to imagine a better place to take one's notebook or laptop to 'work' on a hot, lazy day!

The house is filled with great art, furnishings and bookshelves in every room...

Here is a Diego Rivera in the 'bridge' over the driveway, which connects Fallingwater to the guest house and staff quarters. It is dated '1936'...the year Fallingwater opened. Rivera and Frieda Kahlo were friends of the Kaufmanns, I wonder if the Kaufmanns commissioned this piece!

Another informal Rivera sketch is hanging in the kitchen.

This stunning portrait of a young E.J. Kaufmann by the artist Victor Hammer hangs in the great room. I read an article this week about the recent restoration of this piece. The restorer found a "remarkable buildup" of nicotine across the work's surface, which dramatically dulled this beautiful, oil/tempra painting...Apparently the Kaufmanns smoked a bit.

E.J. was apparently known for choosing and perfecting 'walking-sticks', such as the one he's shown holding here, for his hikes in and around his property. Indeed, visitors can purchase locally produced walking sticks at the FW museum shop!

Here is a gorgeous, antiquarian set of leatherbound Gibbons volumes. If this wasn't Gibbons' FULL set of his, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' it was close. These were in a bookcase in the room of Edgar junior, so I assume they were his. Seeing them there along with ALL of his library, just added to my already rapidly growing admiration for this seemingly remarkable man.

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Wikipedia

Here is a bust on a shelf in the great room, by the sculptor, 'Richmond Barthe'. The Kaufmanns must have loved his work, because there are actually 4 of his pieces in and around the house, including a commissioned bust of Edgar, jr, which sits proudly to this day on the work desk in his dad's room. Richmond Barthé - Wikipedia

Bookcases are everywhere in the house! Like this one on the short stairway from Lillianne's room to E.J's. They're fitted in in 'novel' ways. (see what I did there?) I always look at the titles in displayed bookcases in the homes I am invited into because it tells a great story of the people living...and reading...there. Our guide wanted us to know these books were the actual possessions of the Kaufmanns and that they're positioned now, where the family left them before Edgar junior made his gift of the house and its contents to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

This gorgeous Jaques Lipchitz piece, titled, "Mother and Child" is the first art seen when approaching the house. It is positioned near the bottom of the 'stairway to nowhere', just above the creek.

Here is a gorgeous "Lotus Leaf Lamp" made, of course by Tiffany in the 19-teens. This sits on a desk in the principal suite (formerly known as the "master-suite")

which was probably REALLY known by the Kaufmanns as 'Liliane's suite', as the Kaufmanns did not share quarters.

Sadly, the lamp was likely witness to the house and family's great tragedy, which saw Liliane retire one night to the room, lock it's entrances and take her own life, via an overdose of barbiturates.

Here is a close look at the bookcase adjacent to Liliane's bed, in her room. Can you read some of the titles? Liliane had a real love for Orchids and devoted great energy to growing them. Even before the house was built, the family had a greenhouse on the property dedicated entirely to growing the orchids that constantly graced their Pittsburgh home and offices. My favorite title to find here, while on tour: "Take Off Your Mask" (yellow, middle shelf). Believe me. I wanted to!

Here above the bookcase is a stunning Pablo Picasso ink-wash, titled, "The Smoker". It's simply matted, simply framed and signed in pencil. The styling and composition remind me of the great painter's, "Guernica". I wonder if it is a product of the same era and from the same Paris studio. PA - Mill Run: Fallingwater Master Bedroom - The Smoker | Flickr

Just about all furnishings in the Fallingwater house were designed and placed by the architect, as previously covered....But chairs seem to be a notable exception. This one has a great story. The chair shown here is known as a 'BFK butterfly' chair, which was massively popular in the US, during the 50s and beyond. "BFK" refers to the surnames of its 3 Argentine designers. Edgar jr. 'discovered' the chair on a South American buying tour undertaken in his capacity as curator of the MoMA in NYC...brought three home and ostensibly used the other two to create a mad rush for them in the US, which has never ended.

Here are my photos of several elegant details of the house that I loved for one reason or another:

These cool, Frank Lloyd Wright-designed 'floating ottomans' have always been exciting to me, from the first time I saw photos of them, as a kid. I imagine the family just allowed them to float around the room and remain where their usage distributed them.

The highly waxed floor of the great room looks like an extension of the 'Bear Run' creek beneath the house...and these movable feasts look to me like tiny, floating barges keeping their occupant safe and dry.

Near the fireplace are a few stones, raised above the level of the others. These stones lack the heavy, shiny "Johnson's Wax" of the others and therefore look like Bear Run stones piercing the creek's surface to remain dry. Our guide stated that legend attributes this 'idea' to E. J. Kaufmann...but he wasn't buying. He thought of this as an idea Wright just "allowed" the client to believe was his, as it's one that "screamed of being a classic Wright concept".

Here is ONE photo with a full THREE examples of 'things I love' about FW! The aforementioned Butterfly Chair... The fully openable corner, tower windows... (...the advanced explanation of what makes this wonder even possible, is mind-boggling...) and the cutout in E.J's desk that allows the opening of a narrow door beside the desk. (described more fully below.)

I have always known about this mulled wine heating pot, but had never seen it photographed in any position other than, tucked into its wall cavity, out of the fire. The Kaufmanns were drinkers and they loved using this thing when entertaining, according to our guide. The second photo shows our guide's demonstration of the ease of it's use. This thing is absolutely lovely, and situated in perhaps the house's greatest focal point. Wright must have had fun with this beautiful and simple design!

Tucked into it's niche'.

Here's a photo of E.J's desk, mentioned above. The original design had it extending only to the point at which the cut arc begins...and that didn't work for the business magnate. Wright's amazing solution easily doubled the client's table space and his artistic use of the negative space the arc created, in other parts of the room (as shown in the next photo) just stand now as testament to the truly rare mind of the great master. Note the bust of E. J's son, Edgar junior on his desk is another work commissioned from the great Richmond Barthe'.

In a quest for maintaining design continuity after changing the desks, Wright added the shape represented by the corner-arc, 'removed' from the desk as side tables at the elder Kaufmann's bedside...and the younger's room on the floor directly above. Wonderful! Also notice the tiny white button on Edgar senior's side table. This was a button to call staff at all hours.

I'm going to leave it here for now. Suffice to say that I have always known of Fallingwater. I have always been fascinated with its beauty and the mastery of it's creator and now, with this visit its finally become a real, permanent part of me. I will never forget the opportunity of visiting this wonderful site and will always thank my magnificent daughter for knowing and arranging this! Following are a few articles on these subjects you might just love! Cheers,

Tom. Fallingwater - Frank Lloyd Wright - Tour the house today - Pennsylvania Fallingwater - Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Fallingwater - Wikipedia The Kaufmann Family - Fallingwater Albert Einstein, Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, and the Future of the American City - Ideas | Institute for Advanced Study (ias.edu)