Selected drawings from the John E Christian Family Memorial Trust, Inc. Collection are on display at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum through December 2010 as well as two automobiles owned by Frank Lloyd Wright.
AUBURN – Frank Lloyd Wright is generally regarded as one of the world’s great architects. His impact goes beyond the architectural world. By creating designs for furniture, textiles, flatware and more, he surrounded us with unique objects of beauty, making our lives richer and more meaningful. All of his designs served the bigger idea which was creating a new uniquely American architecture and ultimately a healthier democratic society. Throughout his 72-year career, Wright pushed the limits of contemporary technology and challenged his clients to think “out of the box.”
The images presented in this exhibit for the first time in Northern Indiana, are reproductions of original drawings, now part of the Frank Lloyd Wright archives in Taliesin, Arizona. According to Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, director of the Archives, the very fragile nature of these documents, rendered mostly with graphite and colored pencils on tracing paper, places them in extreme jeopardy if exhibited or referred to too often. Thus, these reproductions, published in limited edition in three portfolios between 1977 and 1982, give us a rare opportunity to get a better sense of the complexity of Wright’s work.
The drawings are outstanding pieces of art and stand alone as a tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright’s genius.
This exhibit is a collaborative project between the West Lafayette Public Library and the John E. Christian Family Memorial Trust, Inc. The exhibit was created by John E. Christian, curator, and Linda Eales, associate curator of the John E. Christian House (SAMARA) in West Lafayette, Indiana. Dr. Christian is an original client and owner of SAMARA a Usonian home designed by Wright in 1954 (S-375). After 55 years he continues to live in the home and manages the day-to-day operation of the property. The home has been open to the public for lectures, tours, demonstrations and discussions since 1988.
In addition to the 50 drawings in this exhibit, the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum exhibits two of Frank Lloyd Wright’s personal automobiles from its permanent collection. A 1929 Cord L-29 Cabriolet that Wright purchased in the 1950s is featured. In addition a 1952 Crosley Super Roadster that Wright purchased new will also be presented during this special exhibit.
The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, a National Historic Landmark, has welcomed nearly two million visitors from all 50 states and from over 40 countries since the museum opened its doors at Noon on Saturday, July 6, 1974. It inhabits the former Auburn Automobile Company’s national headquarters building, a place where history was made over 75 years ago! Many of the Auburn and Cord automobiles you see driving around Auburn each Labor Day weekend were designed and developed in this very building.
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum
1600 South Wayne Street
Auburn, Indiana, 46706
P:(260)925-1444
F:(260)925-6266
www.automobilemuseum.org