Highlights from the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio Archives – The Wendingen Edition

The book consists of seven special numbers of the Dutch art magazine Wendingen that were published during 1925 and devoted to the work of Wright. Wendingen, which means changes or upheaval in Dutch, was the mouthpiece for the Amsterdam School of Architecture during its brief run from 1918 to 1932. The group was looking for a new style and vision for the future, and when it encountered Wright’s work, it was a revelation.

The book’s introduction was written by Hendrik Wijdeveld, a Dutch architect and designer who was also the editor of Wendingen. This was the first major publication of Wright’s work after the 1910-11 Wasmuth Portfolio. The book includes articles on Wright’s work by the architect Louis Sullivan and the critic Lewis Mumford, among other American and European writers. Wright himself contributed three essays entitled, "In the Cause of Architecture."

This beautiful oversized volume is profusely illustrated with Wright’s drawings and designs, as well as numerous black and white photographs. Of particular note is the title page with its Art Deco lettering. There are 164 fan-fold pages with photographs of his buildings on every page.

The original binding of the 1925 edition was designed by Wright. A later edition was published in 1948 with a standard gray cloth binding. The Archives is fortunate to have copies of both editions.

To schedule an appointment with The Alden B. Dow Archive call 989.837.2459.

www.abdow.org