The photo above is a Frank Lloyd Wright creation known as, “Ennis-Brown House”. I took this shot looking ‘up’ at the house. Meandering up and around a winding road, I stood in front of the ‘back’ of the house. Here, I have a plaque to show you:
Built in 1924, this house is located in the Hollywood Hills. It sold several years ago for $6 million dollars, and is undergoing major renovations before the ‘new’ owner moves on in! Oh what I wouldn’t give to get a sneak peek inside this FLW gem!
Alas, this is as far as we got, peering inside the courtyard from the black, wrought iron gates (note the yellow wash bucket and protective work tent):
But here is where things became interesting. A couple of workers noticed our faces pressed against the iron gate and came over to ensure we weren’t trying to break in, cause havoc, or goodness knows what! Assuring the workers we were simply, “fans of Frank”, they turned away and went back to work (or so I thought). The next thing I witnessed was one of the workmen coming through a side entrance. He asked if he could take a few pictures for us from ‘behind the gate’. I was so shocked I simply handed him the camera and stood there in stunned mode. Here is one of the fantastic captures he returned with a few minutes later:
We would never have been allowed to get this close to the pool area (who knew there was a pool?) at the Ennis-Brown House had it not been for the kind gesture of this dear workman who had no idea how much we appreciated his thoughtfulness.
Thank you, kind sir; we appreciate that you appreciate our appreciation for Frank Lloyd Wright’s work: that’s a lot of appreciation, wouldn’t you say? 🙂
Most of Wright’s work fit in with the surrounding nature. I don’t see that here, although it is a beautiful creation.
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You are correct, my dear! Although it is built on a hill, as it were, and to look at it from the front you have to stand on the road and look ‘up’. There are quite a few Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Chicago, as he lived here for a time. There is also one in Springfield, IL on a regular street. So I do know what you mean. “Falling Water” comes to mind as a perfect example of using the surrounding nature (literally, isn’t it?) Why he chose to build some structures without the surrounding nature is a wonder, isn’t it? I will have to read up on that! 🙂 Cher xo
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It’s been a long time since I studied any art, so please let me know what you find out!
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Oh I shall indeed!! Won’t it be interesting to see how it evolved (or rather, how he changed course and decided to use nature on the inside instead of incorporating it into the outside). I love the Prairie Style!! Shall report back! Cher xo
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Wow, Cher – these are great shots! And how fantastic that you got the bonus shots from inside, courtesy of a friendly workman 🙂 Frank Lloyd Wright is one of my favourite architects, so to get a little extra glimpse at his work is very special indeed. And oh, I wish I had a spare six miliion dollars or so – I know what I’d be buying!
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*LOL* Why thank you, Helen! I was extremely grateful because I thought they were going to tell us to get lost! We were on private property as we stood right at the gate. The last thing I ever imagined was getting a great shot from a special vantage point! Oh me too, Helen! I don’t think I could even afford that gate!! 😉 Cher xo
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Ha, I could barely afford the bucket LOL
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*LOL* I do know what you mean, Helen!! 😉 xo
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How COOL is that and so SWEET for the worker to take a photo for you!!! Thanks so much for sharing – I am a fan of Frank too – Happy Day – Enjoy 🙂
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I was honestly stunned, my dear! I just stood there, waiting to see what he’d come back with! And the pool, wow! Are you? I will try and do more posts with some FLW structures. There are FLW houses here in Chicago (but you probably already knew that!) Happy Day to you too, my dear! Cher xo
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I was given a coffee book on Frank, his houses, his design, etc. I grew up around MN, WI, MI and recently lived near CA.
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Oh, do you have a favorite FLW house? Cher xo
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Fallingwater in PA – love to see it some day.
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Oh my dear, me too!!!! Cher xo
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FASCINATING . . . Love when a house has a story and then some!!!
The Ennis House is a residential dwelling in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, south of Griffith Park.
The structure is the fourth and largest of Wright’s textile block designs, constructed primarily of interlocking pre-cast concrete blocks.
The design is based on ancient Mayan temples, and along with other buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright, such as the A. D. German Warehouse in Wisconsin and Aline Barnsdall Hollyhock House in Hollywood, the Ennis House is sometimes referred to as an example of the Mayan Revival architecture. Its prominent detail is the relief ornamentation on its textile blocks, inspired by the symmetrical reliefs of Mayan buildings in Uxmal.
In 1940, the house was sold to media personality John Nesbitt, who had Wright add a pool on the north terrace, a billiard room on the ground floor, and a heating system.
The Ennis House is a designated city, state, and national landmark. It is currently owned by billionaire Ronald Burkle.
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Wow! Thank you for this terrific information! Cher xo
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I forgot about the John Sowden House.
Wright’s son, landscape architect and architect Lloyd Wright, served as construction manager for three of his father’s four textile block houses. He independently designed the iconic Mayan-modernist John Sowden House in 1926 in the Los Feliz District of Hollywood.
The largest numbers of Mayan-revival buildings are found in Detroit, Michigan and Mérida, Mexico but such architecture can also be found on a smaller scale in New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Acapulco, Mexico City, Cancun and Tokyo.
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And this too!!! Fascinating!
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Looks amazing, and what a view!
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Next time you go to California, you should check out the Hollywood Hills, Erika! This house is so cool! And yes, the view is awesome! Cher xo
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I’ve been to Bel Air and Mulholland. Have to check that area too for sure!
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You most definitely should! Cher xo
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😃 Will do!!! 😃
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I saw a TV program on him sometime ago, Cher. It was wonderful. What an amazing guy.
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Oh did you, Don? He was clearly ahead of his time. I’ve been in a couple of Frank Lloyd Wright homes. Considering they were built at the beginning of the previous century when ‘parlors’ were fancy and traditional, there was FLW with open concepts, stained glass, wood, and nothing close to what was occurring in architecture at the time. Cher xo
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I have seen a few of this man’s works, he was fantastic. Far ahead of his time with his designs. The person who took the photos is awesome, see, there is still so much good in the world lol!!
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He really was, wasn’t he? The gentleman took the pool photos, and I took the other ones! Yes, there really is, John!! Cher xo
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As a child I visited Frank Lloyd Wright’s house in Wisconsin called House on the Rock. Here is a link: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2254. It was an interesting place with a huge cauldron in one room. I loved going there. To this day, I still like his architecture best! 😀 ❤
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Oh isn’t that interesting!!! Wow, I would love to visit there! A cauldron of all things!! Thank you so much for including this link for us!!! Cher xo
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Thanks for sharing about Frank Lloyd Wright. 😉💗
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Why thank you my dear! I will have to post more about him; in fact, I do have a few more photos of another FLW home! That shall be in a post soon! Thank you! Cher xo
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Great. He was a fascinating visionary. 💗
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Truly he was, wasn’t he? I have always found it interesting when, at any given time, visionaries are looked upon as different, out of the ordinary, etc. It seems that only with time do we realize the genius in their ‘extra-ordinary’ minds! 🙂
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Well said. I am an advocate for being and thinking differently. LOL. We need more out of the box thinking these days. 💗
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I completely agree! I think it is only then we can see the potential of amazing things happening! Without thinking outside the box, we become stagnant; I just don’t think the Universe works that way! Out of the box thinking indeed!!! Thank you so much for your lovely comments!! Cher xo
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Happy Thanksgiving. 💗🍗💗
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Happy Thanksgiving to you my dear; thank you so much!! Cher xo
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I have been to Falling Water several times and also Taliesin in Wisconsin. Both were amazing. But I have to repeat what I said to my husband at Falling Water. If I had hired Frank Lloyd Wright and got Falling Water, I would have shot him, or at least sued him. I thought it maddening that you cannot see the falling water from the house,
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*LOL* Oh my dear I know exactly what you mean!!! Certainly Mr. Wright wasn’t thinking about anything but looking from the inside out!! Just like Frank Sinatra, he did it his way!! 😉 Cher xo
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Reblogged this on The Militant Negro™.
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