November 2024 Auction Ends Thursday, November 21st, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/21/2024
Intriguing lot of signed letters and telegrams by Frank Lloyd Wright, also with dozens of retained letters, regarding the Lenkurt Electric project. One of the earliest Silicon Valley companies, Lenkurt Electric was experiencing growth in the early 1950s and commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright in 1955 to design a new headquarters for its 1,600+ staff. While the relationship started off full of hope, it soon soured with the Lenkurt executives believing that Wright dismissed their concerns regarding functionality of the space. Wright at times was criticized for putting aesthetic and experimentation ahead of practical elements. Given also the additional constraints of designing a manufacturing building, and Wright's lack of experience with such, the correspondence included here is very interesting to see how the relationship devolved and Wright's testy reaction to what appears to be their valid criticism.
In one of the first retained letters by Aaron Green, Wright's California representative, he states in July 1955 that the ''organization definitely wants a good building to add prestige and dignity to their endeavors.'' Over the course of two years, however, the relationship devolved to such an extent that the company refused to pay Wright's full fee, believing that Wright belittled their concerns about designing a manufacturing building.
In one of the final retained letters by Green, dated September 1957, Green diplomatically informs Wright that ''I have been very concerned that your professional relationship (our) has suffered a serious setback with Lenkurt and that they are quite unhappy with many phases of the relationship...My intention among others, initially, was to help prove to Lenkurt and in general that you could work with the industrial business - man's problems, solving them better than any one else, with more efficiency, without 'personality' complications, without being arbitrary concerning their business and functional problems...Of course I know that these assertions are true, but I believe that Lenkurt now feels otherwise...so much so that I would hesitate to use them as reference...''
Green continues, ''To be specific, I believe they feel completely insecure regarding satisfactory solution of all elements of electrical and mechanical engineering in additional to some details and construction features. They feel that you are not fully and properly considering the functional importance of these things as related to the efficient operation of their business and in some cases are being arbitrary in solving the problems. They state that they have found it impossible to get you to understand their point of view concerning these problems because you angrily denounce them as 'experts'...''
Indeed, in a typed letter signed by Wright to Green, dated 16 February 1957, Wright references the Lenkurt project, and perhaps lampoons the executives as the ''experts'' that they later complained about. He writes, ''Dear Aaron: For some reason the Pace people sent you a copy of the communication concerning a model of the main light fixture. Kindly take up the matter with Lenkurt and see if they will authorize the expense. All experts are an ass?''.
With much more correspondence documenting the project, including Green's statement that the Lenkhurt men are of high integrity. Two other letters signed by Wright are included in the lot, all on Taliesin West stationery, with one letter featuring extensive hand-edits by Wright. In these letters Wright delivers the Lenkurt plans and tells Green that their first payment is now due. The Lenkurt Electric project was never built, as the company was acquired by a competitor, perhaps mercifully ending the fractured relationship.
Lot also features five telegrams sent by Wright to Green and dozens of pages of retained letters and documents. Signed letters by Taliesin associates Gene Masselink and Jack Howe are also present. Wright letters measure measure 11'' x 8.5''. Telegrams measures 8'' x 5.875''. Very good condition.
Frank Lloyd Wright Correspondence Regarding the Ultimately Doomed Lenkurt Electric Project -- Includes 3 Letters Signed by Wright with Handwritten Notes, 5 Telegrams & Dozens of Retained Letters
Click above for larger image.