Periodicals

The collections of Frank Lloyd Wright's surviving books contain almost no periodical publications.  This is hardly surprising, since most periodicals are fragile and considered ephemeral.  Nevertheless, there is a good deal of evidence that Wright regularly read periodicals—architectural journals, literary reviews, popular magazines, and newspapers.  In his own publications and correspondence he often mentioned articles he had read or specific periodicals.  In a description of his favorite readings, in 1932, he said, "I like . . . the editorial observations of The New Yorker."[1]  In correspondence in 1941, he referred to the views of "our provincial columnists and wise-crackers: [Archibald] MacLeish, [Robert E.] Sherwood, Max Anderson, Walter Lippmann, and 'Dolly' [Dorothy] Thompson."[2]  Olgivanna Wright, writing about her husband's love of reading shortly after his death, recalled, "Magazines, journals, newspapers, he devoured at terrific speed."[3]

The compilation here is based on the following types of evidence for periodicals that Wright read, or may have read:   Periodicals found in collections of Wright's books, or collections of books he probably had access to, at some time in his life (particularly in Louis Sullivan's library).  Periodicals or periodical articles that Wright mentioned in his own publications or correspondence.  And periodicals in which Wright published numerous articles, since he was no doubt familiar with any journal or magazine in which he often published his own writings or work.[4]

Academy Architecture and Architectural Review
The collection of Wright’s books at Taliesin West includes the 1905 volume of the London-based annual journal Academy Architecture and Architectural Review.

American Architect and Building News
Louis Sullivan's library apparently contained issues or bound volumes of the American Architect and Building News.  (The entry for it in the auction catalogue of Sullivan's library is incomplete; see the note for this work in "Louis Sullivan's books.")  In 1902 Wright wrote to the English architect Charles Ashbee, saying that "some time ago I read your article in one of our magazines"—probably referring to an article by Ashbee in American Architect and Building News in 1896.  See "Authors read by Wright," entry on Ashbee.  American Architect and Building News was published from 1876 to 1908.

The Architectural Annual
The auction catalogue of Louis Sullivan's library includes two entries referring to this journal: "The Architectural Annual.  Ed. by A. Kelsey, 1901. 8vo. Philadelphia.  1 Vol."  And "A Large Country House, Bruce Price; The Arch. Annual.  1900.  2 Vols."  The Architectural Annual began publication in 1900.

Architectural Forum
Wright had a fruitful relationship with the monthly journal Architectural Forum (which began publication in 1917 as the successor to The Brickbuilder).  He first published an article in the magazine in 1930, and soon it became probably his favored periodical for publicizing his work and his ideas.  In 1938 a special issue of the magazine was devoted to his recent work, for which Wright wrote most of the text and designed the issue.  Another special issue of the journal devoted to Wright appeared in 1948—and a third in 1951.  When the special issue of 1948 came out, Howard Myer, editor of Architectural Forum, presented Wright with a signed first edition of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, which Wright subsequently used to quote passages from Whitman to his apprentices.

Architectural Record
Wright's longest relationship with a journal was with Architectural Record.  In its second year of publication, 1892, it published Adler and Sullivan's Charnley House (later recognized as largely designed by Wright), and in 1905 the magazine began printing articles specifically on Wright.  In 1908 Wright published in the journal the first of his important "In the Cause of Architecture" articles—with additional installments appearing in numerous issues of the magazine from 1914 to 1928.  Wright contributed more articles to the magazine in the 1930s, and again in the 1950s.

Atlantic Monthly
Wright often read articles and essays that appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, in particular those by Lewis Mumford.  See "Authors read by Wright," entry on Mumford.  The  Boston-based Atlantic Monthly began publication in 1857.

The Brickbuilder
From 1898 to 1903, The Brickbuilder published several notices about Wright and his work, including the text of one of his speeches in 1900.  The Boston-based journal began publication in 1892 and became Architectural  Forum in 1917.

The Building News and Engineering Journal
The auction catalogue of Louis Sullivan's library includes two entries referring to this journal: "The Building News, London.  9 volumes . . . [illegible] . . . volumes, plates.  14 Vols."  And "Plates from London Building News, 1884; from Am. Arch., 1884-85.  Folio.  Half Morocco.  3 Vols."  This journal, based in London, was published from 1864 to 1926.

Capital Times (Madison, Wisconsin)
Wright was apparently a regular reader of the Madison newspaper Capital Times, and he corresponded, in the years around 1940, with its editor, William Evjue—with whom he shared anti-war and isolationist opinions.  See, for example, "Authors read by Wright," entry on Walter Lippmann.

Les Concours d'École, Section d'Architecture
The auction catalogue of Louis Sullivan's library includes: "Les Concours D'Ecole, Section D'Architecture.  2me Annee.  Folio.  Paris, 1901.  1 Vol."  This work was produced by the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, in Paris, from 1899 to 1902.

Croquis d'Architecture
The auction catalogue of Louis Sullivan's library includes: "Croquis D'Architecture.  From the First Year, 1866 to 1877.  Folio.  Half Morocco.  Paris.  11 Vols."  This periodical was published in Paris from 1866 to 1898.

Horizon: a Review of Literature & Art
In a 1952 letter to Lewis Mumford, Wright told him he should read E. M. Forster's article "Raison d'être of Criticism," which had appeared in Horizon in December 1948.  See "Authors read by Wright," entry on Forster.  This London-based journal was published from 1940 to 1950.

House Beautiful
In 1897, 1899, and 1904, the popular magazine House Beautiful published articles on Wright's own house and studio in Oak Park, and another one of his houses.  It is likely that Wright himself arranged for these publications, as part of his attempt to promote his work nationally.  The magazine had begun publication in 1896.

The Inland Architect
This Chicago-based monthly journal began publication in 1883 as The Inland Architect and Builder; its name was changed in 1888 to The Inland Architect and News Record, and it ceased publication in 1908.  The auction catalogue of Louis Sullivan's library includes: "The Inland Architect and Builder.  Vols. 1 to 6 inc.  8vo.  1 Vol."  In the late 1880s and the 1890s, the journal published articles illustrated by drawings by Wright, and then articles on his early buildings.  The journal was probably Wright's main source of information on architectural developments in the Chicago area during this period.

Ladies Home Journal
In 1901 this popular women's magazine published two of Wright's Prairie-House designs, which had apparently been submitted by him.  And in 1908 the magazine published his design for a "Fireproof" house.  The Philadelphia-based magazine had begun publication in 1888.

Little Review
Wright arranged for the publication of two articles, in 1915, in the literary journal Little Review: a translation of a poem by Goethe, made by Mamah Borthwick; and a translation by Borthwick of an article on Romain Rolland by the Swedish feminist Ellen Key.   The Chicago-based journal was published from 1914 to 1929.

Magazine of Art
In 1938 Wright submitted a letter to the Magazine of Art, which was published in its June issue.   In 1944 the magazine published another submission by Wright, a rebuttal to an article Robert Moses had published in the New York Times.  In 1946 an article by Wright on the Guggenheim Museum appeared in the magazine.   And in 1953 Wright wrote a review of an article by the historian Dimitri Tselos, which had appeared in the April 1953 issue of the magazine.  See "Authors read by Wright," entries on Moses and Tselos.  Magazine of Art was published from 1909 to 1953.

The New Republic
Wright's correspondence with Lewis Mumford, over a thirty-year period, reveals that he followed Mumford's writings that appeared in The New Republic, as well as several other American magazines and journals.  See "Authors read by Wright," entry on Mumford.  The New York-based magazine began publication in 1914.

The New York Times Magazine
In 1932 Wright wrote an article on Broadacre City for the New York Times Magazine.  In 1947 he submitted a letter to the magazine, regarding the new building for the United Nations.  And in 1953 he wrote a brief article for the magazine.  It seems likely that Wright was a regular reader of the New York Times.

The New Yorker
As noted in the introductory remarks above, Wright in 1932 said that he enjoyed reading "the editorial observations of The New Yorker."  The magazine had begun publication in 1925.  According to the Taliesin apprentice Priscilla Henken, in May of 1943 Wright read an unflattering review of his autobiography, written by Clifton Fadiman, which had just appeared in The New Yorker.  And Wright regularly read the articles and essays by Lewis Mumford that appeared in the magazine.  See "Authors read by Wright," entries on Fadiman and Mumford.

Reality
Wright was apparently a regular reader of the London-based weekly magazine Reality, and the articles of its editor, G. Hickling.  In 1941 Wright wrote a piece on Hickling's political views (never published), and in 1942 he reportedly "read from Reality" to his apprentices one day at tea.  See "Authors read by Wright," entry on Hickling.

Revue générale de l'architecture et des travaux publics
The auction catalogue of Louis Sullivan's library includes: "Revue Generale de L'Architecture, et des Travaux Publics.  Vols. 9 to 28 inclusive, except Vol. 26.  Paris, 1851-70.  Folio.  Half Morocco.  19 Vols."

The Sanitary Engineer
The auction catalogue of Louis Sullivan's library includes: "Sanitary Engineer.  4 volumes and 3 others.  4to.  Half Leather.  7 Vols."  This New York-based journal was published from 1880 to 1886.

The Saturday Review
Wright wrote a number of book reviews for The Saturday Review:  In 1932 a review of Claude Bragdon's The Frozen Foundation.  In 1935 a review of Hugh Morrison's book on Louis Sullivan.  In 1938 a review of Buckminster Fuller's Nine Chains to the Moon.  And in 1941 a review of Lewis Mumford's The South in Architecture.  In 1955 and 1957, the journal printed two brief articles by Wright, on "The Future of the City" and "Architecture and Music."  The Saturday Review was published from 1924 to 1986.

Schweizerische Bauzeitung
Wright reportedly had an English translation of Hendrik Berlage's article on American architecture that had appeared in the September 1912 issue of the Zurich-based Schweizerische Bauzeitung.  See "Authors read by Wright," entry on Berlage.

T-Square
In 1930, The T-Square Club, a professional society for architects in Philadelphia, started its own publication, the T-Square Club Journal.  By 1932, when the name was shortened to T-Square, the journal had become dominated by the International-Style views of the club's member George Howe.  Wright evidently read the issues of the journal, for he submitted an article criticizing the International Style, which appeared in the February 1932 issue, as well as a response to an article by Norman Rice that had appeared in the previous issue.  (See "Authors read by Wright," entry on Rice.)  This suggests that Wright kept informed of new architectural periodicals in America, even ones produced by local professional organizations. 

Wendingen
In a letter to J. J. P. Oud, of 1922, Wright referrred to "Dr. Berlage, whose criticism in Wendingen has just been read to me by one one of your countrymen."  The Dutch journal had published an article by Hendrik Berlage, on Wright's work, in 1921.  And in 1925, H. T. Wijdeveld produced special issues of the magazine devoted to Wright's work, which greatly pleased Wright when he received them.  See "Authors read by Wright," entries on Berlage and Wijdeveld.  Wendingen was published from 1918 to 1931.

The Western Architect
In 1916 The Western Architect published the text of a talk Wright had given in Milwaukee, on prefabricated housing; he had no doubt submitted it to the magazine.  In 1923 he wrote two articles on the Imperial Hotel, which appeared in separate issues of the magazine.  And in 1924 the magazine published two more articles by Wright—one a follow-up on the Imperial Hotel; the other a eulogy for Louis Sullivan.  Wright probably read this journal regularly during this period of the 1910s and 1920s.  The Minneapolis-based journal was published from 1901 to 1931.