Barnsdall House Views

Books

Although Aline Barnsdall was ahead of her time in thinking that contemporary use of land and natural resources should redress (if not justify) the way we've exploited them in the past, she lost faith in her designer. Wright, in a letter to Ms. Barnsdall at the bitter end of the project, pleaded with her to absolve Hollyhock House at least from rancor and false witness. From a Feng Shui standpoint, these problems were built into the house.

Barnsdall originally intended the house to be part of an arts and theater complex on a property known as Olive Hill, but the larger project was never completed. This was Wright's second project in California, and, atypically for Wright, he was not able to personally supervise much of the construction due to his preoccupation with designing the Imperial Hotel in Japan at the time. He delegated many of the responsibilities involved in designing the house to his assistant, Rudolph Schindler, and his son, Lloyd Wright.

Disillusioned by the costs of construction and maintenance, Barnsdall donated the house to the city of Los Angeles in 1927 under the stipulation that a fifteen-year lease be given to the California Art Club for its headquarters, which it maintained until 1942. The house has been used as an art gallery and as a United Service Organizations (USO) facility over the years. Beginning in 1974, the city sponsored a series of restorations, but it was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. It was again restored, and is currently open to the public as of June 2005.

The FOHH provide an increased public awareness of Frank Lloyd Wright, Aline Barnsdall, and Hollyhock House through public tours, special events, and the Friends of Hollyhock House Library. The library is a small research library that contains books and articles on Frank Lloyd Wright and Aline Barnsdall. All docents are members of the Friends of Hollyhock House.