Taliesin (Frank Lloyd Wright)
Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin Home
Richard Rathe July 2023 (Photography, Travel)
Taliesin was the home and architectural school of Frank Lloyd Wright. It is located near Spring Green in southwest Wisconsin. The area was originally settled by his grandfather and Wright returned to the area in 1911 with his then mistress, Mamah Borthwick. The family and buildings suffered many disasters over the years—including two fires, a mudslide, and the murder of Borthwick and six others. The current site is referred to as Taliesin III and is a canonical example of The Prairie School of architecture.
2012 Visit (Exteriors)
I first visited the site in 2012 and took several HDR photos (including panoramas) of the buildings and grounds. Access to building interiors was restricted due to restoration work at that time.
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2023 Visit
I visited again eleven years later when much of the core restoration was finished. Note the Wright-designed light fixtures, furniture, landscaping, and artwork. The small theater complex at the rear of the school was closed for restoration (slide #16).
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One feature of the main house needs special explanation—The Bird Walk. Apparently Wright's wife was fond of watching wild birds. At the time of construction, there was a large oak tree on the downslope side of the house. Wright added a 30 foot cantilevered walkway into the canopy of that tree. One can imagine strolling out there at dawn to greet the day with avian friends! Alas, the original tree is no more.
Interior Panoramas
I was also able to capture spherical panoramas of several interior spaces. The first three are from the school, the rest are inside the main house.
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