FLW+Learning+to+Be+An+Architect

Cecil Corwin, a young man that worked in Mr. J. L. Silsbee's office, noticed Frank looked a little hungry, so he took him out to eat. They enjoyed working together, walking around Chicago and studying what Frank called an "outdoor school of architecture". They admired the building designs by Louis H. Sullivan, that were simple shapes with large main entrances framed with huge stone archways. Around the archway was a band of sculptured decorations. These reminded Frank of plants and flowers he loved from his farm in Wisconsin.

Frank admired Silsbee, but was soon discouraged by his work quality. Frank complained to Cecil, "We are just making pretty pictures to show Silsbee's clients. The buildings he constructs never look like the pictures."

"Frank, architects have to be practical," replied Silsbee."They need to keep making money, so they build what the clients ask them to."

But Frank wasn't blown away by this fact. "That's not honest Cecil." He was remembering an old saying from is uncles: //Truth Against The World//. "Cecil, each man must do the best he knows how to do, not just what he is told to do."

Frank heard the[|Louis H. Sullivan] was hiring a new, young draftsman. Frank thought Louis was an honest architect and immediately wanted the job. Frank refused to speak to anyone but Sullivan, but Mr. Sullivan was very busy and usually didn't stop working to listen to young draftsmen. He finally gave in and took a look at some of Wright's work. He was unimpressed but like the young man's enthusiasm. Sullivan gave Frank one week to draw up new designs and bring them back. After one week of late-into-the-night sketching, he was hired. Wright started work in Sullivan's office with one thing in mind: a new country deserved new styled architecture. Most of the buildings he saw around him were copies of building he saw in early Europe. He admired Sullivan more than any other architect because he was creating new American architecture.

Frank worked hard in his office at work during the day and night. Sullivan and Wright frequently talked about an Englishman named [|William Morris]. Morris encouraged artists and architects to work with their hands. He believed the shapes found in nature will create a new, honest style of architecture. Sullivan explained his "organic whole" architecture where the building fit together like music notes fit together to make a beutiful piece of music.

After a short period of work time, Frank began to call Sullivan his "liebermeister", which means "beloved teacher" in German. Sullivan soon moved him into a special office, right nezt to his own. Everytime Sullivan got clients, he turned to jobs over to Wright. They began work on Chicago' s new Auditorium Theater and a building for the [|1893 World's Fair in Chicago].

One night, Cecil and Frank went to a costume party. Frank, who enjoyed dressing up in costumes, dressed up as a French army soldier carrying a sword and wearing high boots. Thinking himself very handsome he strolled across the room to meet some friends and stumbled upon a beautiful girl named Catherine Toben. She was amused with Frank and they soon became close friends.

Citation (MLA)
"Photograph of American Architect Frank Lloyd Wright." Online image. PowerMediaPlus.com. 9 January 2007. <[|http://www.powermediaplus.com]>

Thorne-Thomsen, Kathleen. __Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids__. 1. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 1994.