The Dark Side of Frank Lloyd Wright, Part One: Professional Success and Personal Turmoil
Summary
Hosts Noel Brown and Ben Boland explore the early life and career of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, highlighting his rise to fame through the Prairie School style. They detail his controversial personal life, including an affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney that led to scandal and social ostracization. The episode covers his retreat to build Taliesin in Wisconsin, his condescending public statements, and ends on a cliffhanger involving a fire at the estate.
Topics discussed
Intro: Frank Lloyd Wright's genius and controversy
Early life, education, and move to Chicago
Marriage, mentorship under Sullivan, and fallout
Prairie School style and architectural philosophy
Influence of Japanese architecture and travel
Affair with Mamah Cheney and scandal
Building Taliesin and social exile
Taliesin layout, public backlash, and Wright's ego
Part 1 cliffhanger and outro
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