Frank Lloyd Wright Original

DALLAS, TEXAS: Located in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania, the residence known as "Fallingwater," designed by renowned architect and artist Frank Lloyd Wright, is considered a masterpiece of modern design.

"Wright is known for incorporating the surrounding landscape into his architectural designs," said Tom Slater, Director of Americana auctions for Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries, "and Fallingwater, designed in 1936 for the family of Pennsylvania department store magnate Edgar J. Kauffman, perfectly embodies these qualities."

"Central to Wright's concept for this magnificent structure is the waterfall over which the house is built," Slater said. "When the Kauffman's first conceived of the house, they assumed that Wright would set it facing the waterfall. Instead, he adopted the bold plan of inextricably linking the house and the waterfall, again demonstrating his passion for making his structures part of the natural landscape, rather than separate from it."

In 1986, New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger wrote, "This is a house that summed up the 20th century and then thrust it forward still further. Within this remarkable building Frank Lloyd Wright recapitulated themes that had preoccupied him since his career began a half-century earlier, but he did not reproduce them literally. Instead, he cast his net wider, integrating European modernism and his own love of nature and of structural daring, and pulled it all together into a brilliantly resolved totality. Fallingwater is Wright's greatest essay in horizontal space; it is his most powerful piece of structural drama; it is his most sublime integration of man and nature."

"Fallingwater opened to the public in 1964," Slater continued, "and has since been seen by nearly 3 million people. Presented to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy by Edgar J. Kauffman, Jr., the house, which served as the weekend retreat for the family from 1937 until 1963, is the only classic Wright structure with its original furniture, setting, and artwork still intact, making it one of America's great national treasures."

"We're very proud to offer a set of 13 original blueprints for this magnificent home in our upcoming auction," Slater said. "These blueprints, to our knowledge, are the only ones in private hands. Each contractor working on the house would have had a set like this, with this particular set belonging to the window contractor. Each of the 13 large drawings bears Wright's name, that of the client, Mr. and Mrs. Kaufmann, and the home's site, Bear Run, Pa."

"This exciting find was discovered on Long Island by Arthur Hennighausen, according to a letter that is included in the lot," Slater said. "Obviously used and showing signs of wear, on the back of one is penciled 'F.L. Wright,' which may or may not be in the famous architects hand. Nevertheless, the value lies in the blueprints themselves, as they are stunning representations of man's ability to create something truly beautiful and still have it coincide with nature."

The Frank Lloyd Wright "Fallingwater" Blueprints bears a pre-auction estimate of $60,000 & up.

Heritage Auction Galleries will offer the Frank Lloyd Wright "Fallingwater" Blueprints in their upcoming Grand format Autograph Auction, to be held October 12, 2006 at their headquarters in Dallas, TX, with a simulcast in New York City.

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.

Prospective consignors and sellers of political memorabilia, Americana, and related collectibles are invited to visit historical.HA.com and click on the "Sell Now" tab. Or simply email Tom Slater at TomS@HA.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Nicole Jewell at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272, or visit www.HA.com to order by email.