Taliesin Landscape © 2008 Bo Mackison
View of Taliesin in the distance and the surrounding countryside.
Red Taliesin Bus © 2008 Bo Mackison
Jump on this bright red bus, Frank Lloyd Wright’s favorite color, BTW, and it takes you to Taliesin, Wright’s home in Spring Green, Wisconsin. This hillside was Wright’s favorite spot as a child when he lived and worked on his uncles’ farms – he would come here to hide and escape his chores. When he was an adult, his mother bought the property as a bribe to get her son to return to Wisconsin from a long stay in Europe. The bribe worked and FLW returned and built his home there.
Taliesin Apartments © 2008 Bo Mackison
These are the interior gardens; the main house in behind the camera. The long row structure to the right was originally a long string of barns for the family’s animals. They are now apartments for the architectural students studying Prairie Architecture at the school housed nearby.
Taliesin © 2008 Bo Mackison
Wright designed his buildings so that there was not a direct route to the entrance. He wanted you to “have an adventure” before you even stepped into the interior. In the case of Taliesin, one has to go through the garden, around the string of student apartments, and then past his studio, to find the front door. The windows to the left are in the main room of the house, one of the first “great rooms” – a combined living room, dining room, study.
Taliesin’s Interior Gardens © 2008 Bo Mackison
A view of the garden. Wright bought innumerable Asian artifacts to Taliesin, and decorated the interior and exterior with these treasures. No photos of the interior were allowed, though the home tour was in depth and included all of Wright’s living areas and studio. Filled with wonderful Wright designed furnishings, Oriental rugs and Asian art.
Spring Green is about 30 miles west of Madison and Taliesin is truly a national treasure, worth the visit if anywhere in the area.
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Great post, Bo! Very interesting and well done!
That would be a dream day out for me.
What a spread, boy would I love to photograph there !!
Great post and images Bo !!
Wonderful photos, Bo. Frank Lloyd Wright is a favorite, and I sure would love to see this!!! I have only seen one building by FLW in Oklahoma. Architecture and FLD are favorite interests of mine. Enjoyed this post. 🙂
Tell whose ever might be there that I’m packing my stuff, renting a truck and will be there in a week to move in. LOLOL 🙂 What an incredibly beautiful place. The entire area and house looks like a dream come true to me.
The fact that Frank was all about the ‘adventure’ just leads me to believe he’s one of my HomeBoys…and wouldn’t mind if I camp out there for awhile! 🙂
I love his work. Absolutely love it. Thanks for this view into an incredible place.
let’s go visit
Absolutely wonderful series. It is no wonder he loved it there it is spectacular.
I enjoyed this very much..you did a great job!
I like his idea of no direct route to the entrance,and I loved how his Mother managed to get him to move back close to her. Mother’s have their ways..eh? 🙂
Makes me sad to think they are no longer there. 🙁
Thank you for sharing this Bo.
Very interesting. The house and gardens are beautiful. I hope to go there someday.
Aiyana
montucky – a little different from your Montana mountains, but this Wisconsin hillside is well worth a visit too. 🙂
upilldowndale – it WAS a dream day out for me as well.
Bernie – the most frustrating thing was no interior photography was allowed. I so wanted to shoot the outside scenery framed by his intentionally and perfectly placed windows and doors. And the furnishings and studio were fantastic.
Anna – I’ve seen some of his stuff in Wisconsin, the Guggenheim in NYC, so much more I would love to tour.
Grace – when I get to move in, I’ll save you a space. There’s quite a lot of nooks and crannies – one would surely work to call your home. 🙂
ybonesy – FLW’s collection is certainly worth an ‘explore” – I’d like to get to Scottsdale AZ to see Taliesin West, the home he built for his lover-eventually-turned-wife. He was a pretty interesting guy for a 1920’s-30’s figure. He seemed to follow his heart in many ways – not just through his architecture.
jeanabaena – Come to Wisconsin! We’ll explore!
Laurie – It is most spectacular. I hated to leave.
Gypsy – yes, his winding entrance path was most amusing. Like he was giving you a mini-tour before he allowed you to view his home.
Aiyana – It’s worth the trip -guaranteed. There are about 20 Wright buildings in Wisconsin, many of them available to go in and see.
I love the lines in his work. Beautiful countryside also. Reminds me of the Shire – one of my favorites. 🙂
Love FLW’s work. I’m in several book clubs & both read “Loving Frank” — a great book. I recommend it highly.
My husband worked for SC Johnson & Co. in Racine until he retired. FWW designed the headquarters there which still look “up to date” altho. they were designed many years ago. He also built a house for Sam Johnson of SCJ. One night. Sam J. was entertaining. It rained & water dripped on Sam’s head. He had a phone brought to the table, called FLW & said, “Frank, I’m entertaining important guests, and there is water dripping on my head.” FLW replied, “Well, then, Sam, move your chair.”