Esoteric Survey

The Smith House by Frank Lloyd Wright (1950) Located in Bloomfield Hills, this Usonian was commissioned by two school teachers, Sara Stein Smith and Melvyn Maxwell Smith.  In 1939, during a graduate art history class at Wayne State University, Melvyn was inspired by a presentation on Wright's Fallingwater. Immediately in class, he declared his intention to have a house designed by Wright. Sarah and Melvyn were married in 1940. The Smiths went to meet with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin in 1941 and he agrred to design a home for them. The project was delayed when Melvyn was drafted into the Army. He served from 1942 to 1945.  The couple used their entire saving to purchase the site in 1946 and Wright delivered the plans in 1947. Melvyn acted as the general contractor to save on costs. The Smiths must have been the most likeable couple because all the trades people and suppliers gave them generous deals. Even the notoriously arrogant and abrasive Wright was smitten by them. Arch...

  Isamu Noguchi Rudder table Paul Bellardo and Alvar Aalto Harry Gitlin for Stamford, NY Smalls... Peter Shire, Arabia, Rose Dodds and Doug Ayers Very smalls Ephemera Photos. More on these later. William Stout Architectural Books is now owned by the Eames Institute. More on that here .

 Doug Ayers, John Novy Dansk Rare Woods tray by Jens Quistgaard Bruce Hill for Peter Pepper Products

 Doug Ayers, Van Keppel-Green candleholders and a Euro lamp

George Nelson for Herman Miller Steelframe, Doug Ayers, Jacob Hermann and chairs by Taos artist Ben Wade. Teak stuff Fong Chow  Fong Chow (1923-2012 ) was a Chinese American ceramicist, curator, and photographer from New York, N.Y. In 1951 Fong Chow completed a program at the Boston Museum School, majoring in ceramics, with a minor in painting and photography. He then was accepted into the ceramic program at Alfred University. Around 1952 he was hired by Glidden Pottery in Alfred in the role of designer and glaze developer.  of his Glidden Pottery designs won him a Museum of Modern Art coveted "Good Design" award. After Glidden Pottery closed in 1958, Chow accepted a job at the Metrolitan MAuseum of Art as assistant curator of ceramics in the Asian Department. As his career proressed at the Metroplitan, he maintained his own ceramic studio. ( Cooper Hewitt )

  My pile from Mod Swap. Anyone ever see a Rupert Deese candle holder in solid bronze?    Speaking of Mod Swap, it was a super fun day.  Photo: Ron Kerner It was also the debut of Black Pine Society The non-Mod Swap pile for the weekend... Architectural Pottery and Doug Ayers And a Bill Lam diffuser. I have a feeling there are a lot of these out there waiting to be saved. I found mine attached to a table lamp at the Rose Bowl. I'm just glad the guy didn't make me buy the awful lamp it was on.