Merchant Prince and Master Builder

Examines the extraordinary relationship between one of the nation's leading retailers in the mid-20th century and its best-known architect. Over a span of 25 years, Kaufmann and his family commissioned a dozen projects from Wright, including the famous country house, Fallingwater. Through their department store and their association with the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Kaufmanns promoted the work of Wright and other progressive designers. Includes b&w photos and many color and b&w plans. Cleary is an associate professor of architectural history at the University of Texas-Austin. Distributed by University of Washington Press. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

There is no shortage of books about Wright, popularly recognized as America's greatest architect. But this catalog, produced for an exhibition at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Art, manages to provide a slightly new and intriguing perspective on the last decades of the "master builder's" career. Among the catalog's original offerings is an insightful essay by architectural historian Cleary on Wright's relationship to the Kaufmann family in the context of contemporary design, commerce, and urban planning in the 20th century. Central to the catalog is also, of course, a collection of drawings from Wright's studio. And included in the splendid selection of reproductions are unbuilt proposals for Fallingwater and visionary projects for Pittsburgh's Point Park. The quality of reproduction is generally fine, but the necessary reduction in scale may have viewers reaching for a strong magnifying glass. Essential for libraries specializing in American art and architecture; libraries with general collections should be sure to have Edgar Kaufmann Jr.'s lavishly illustrated Fallingwater: A Frank Lloyd Wright Country House (LJ 2/1/87).ADavid Soltesz, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH
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