Frank Lloyd Wright: Unpacking the Archive

"Published in conjunction with a major exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, this volume reveals new perspectives on the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, a designer so prolific and familiar as to nearly preclude critical reexamination. Structured as a series of inquiries into the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives, it is a collection of sixteen scholarly explorations rather than a master narrative. Each essay “unpacks” a key object from the Archives—interpreting and contextualizing it, tracing its meanings and connections, juxtaposing it with other works. Among the projects discussed are Wright’s quest to build a mile-high skyscraper, his little known project for a Rosenwald School for African American children, and his lifelong dedication to affordable and do-it-yourself housing These and other explorations open Wright’s work to fresh questioning, interpretation, and debate, so that we may consider this iconic figure in new and illuminating ways."

See chapter: "Rosenwald School: Lessons in Progressive Education," by Mabel O. Wilson.