Frank Lloyd Wright

A narrative in correspondence from the “Guggenheim Letters,” a remarkable archive that, in its entirety, would make a stack equal in height to the model of the Guggenheim Frank Lloyd Wright made in 1946. Here is a very personal and detailed account of the creative struggle required to build the extraordinary Guggenheim Museum. It is a seventeen-year saga which saw the firing of the first curator, the death of the donor, and the creation of six complete sets of plans and 749 drawings. Ironically, Wright died six months before its completion. From its opening in October 1959, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum has been recognized as Frank Lloyd Wright’s crowning achievement. Pfeiffer de­monstrates that the story of its construction is arresting drama as well. The Guggenheim, while periodically modified and adapted to meet its changing needs, continues to give expression to Wright’s artistic vision and is a testament to the spir­it of both Wright and Guggenheim.