Description:

F. L. Wright 2x Signed & Annotated Architectural Drawing For John A. Gillin House

An architectural drawing for the John A. Gillin House, the only residential commission completed in Dallas, Texas by architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), TWICE initialed by Wright in pencil, both times as "FLW." Wright has additionally inscribed approximately 40 words throughout, in a mixture of one-word and several-word labels, or complete statements or questions. N.d., but ca. the mid-to-late 1950s. N.p. but presumably Dallas, Texas. The architectural drawing entitled "House for Mr. John A. Gillin / Dallas, Texas / Frank Lloyd Wright Architect / Suppl. Sheet No. 1-1 … Court & Drive Plan" is partly printed on cream paper, but Wright has added extensive free-hand pencil drawings throughout. Expected wear including flattened creases as well as isolated edge wrinkles or closed tears. Currently rolled, but unrolled measures 36.375" x 27.625." Provenance: From the collection of architect William Kelly Oliver, Frank Lloyd Wright's apprentice, and a member of the Taliesin Associated Architects, who supervised the construction of the John A. Gillin House and the Kalita Humphreys Theater, both in Dallas, Texas.

Wright posed several questions to his building supervisor, William Kelly Oliver, at the center upside down: "What and where / is this retaining wall + how high / FLW" and "Kelly! / Where is present stone wall / FLW." Additional inscriptions in Wright's hand include: "Greenery"; "Where does line of stone wall / hit the street circle"; "Low retaining wall"; "Electrolier"; Where is Parking?"; "Fountain?"; "Planting"; and "Light Pole," for a total of about 40 words in Wright's hand on this single architectural drawing.

Wright's free-form pencil drawings are scattered throughout and include three areas of squiggly lines to designate greenery, including a triangular flower bed containing the mailbox. In addition, Wright has boldly outlined a hexagonal shape labeled "Fountain?" at lower left. Wright's largest drawing of hatchmarks and lines, measuring approximately 12" x 10" in area, outlines the low retaining wall found along the right edge of the architectural drawing. (See the attached images just for reference, showing the driveway and court of the John A. Gillin House as represented in this architectural drawing.)

Frank Lloyd Wright began preparations for the John A. Gillin House in 1950. There is some discrepancy over when exactly Wright finished the John A. Gillin House. While some maintain that it was completed in 1958, other sources claim that the house was only "virtually finished" at the time of Wright's death at age 91 in April 1959. Regardless of when it was finished, the John A. Gillin House was one of the last Wright architectural commissions of his career, as well as one of his most memorable designs.

The John A. Gillin House (Storrer # S. 338) is located at 9400 Rockbrook Drive in the desirable Preston Hollows neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. Wright's client, John A. Gillin, was a young and talented geophysicist who founded the National Geophysical Company at age 27. Gillin reportedly spent about $100,000 (over $1 million in 2023 money) on Wright's project situated at the center of a 7-acre property overlooking a country creek.

The house, which extends outward in three radiating wings, has been dubbed the "train house" because of its "long and low" silhouette, characteristic of Wright's Usonian style (1937-1959). Usonian in its use of natural materials, its flat and cantilevered roofs, its single-story construction, and its many windows providing natural light, the John A. Gillin House should perhaps be considered Wright's most extreme Usonian design. The rigid geometric form of the house, rather than function, dictates its design. Rooms are truncated at 60 and 120 angles, and a dizzying array of geometric patterns--parallelograms, triangles, hexagons, circles--appear throughout the house, in the roof, elevation, and room-by-room details. The result is definitely mid-century, but also harsh.

The John A. Gillin House was to be Wright's only residential project in Dallas, Texas; the other two private homes that he designed in Texas, the William L. Thaxton House and the Sterling Kinney Residence, were located in Bunker Hill Village and Amarillo, Texas, respectively. The only other Wright Dallas design besides the John A. Gillin House is that of the Kalita Humphreys Theatre, constructed around the same time.

Frank Lloyd Wright created over 1,000 architectural plans over his 70-year-long career, of which more than half were constructed. Wright's pioneering design approach incorporated function, aesthetics, and the environment, and fundamentally changed late 19th and early 20th century architecture. In addition to architectural design, Wright wrote many books, served as a mentor, and also designed furniture and decorative arts.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

February 21, 2024 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000