FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT CHICAGO TO NEW YORK

5-night optional extension to Los Angeles & Taliesin West

OCTOBER 22 – NOVEMBER 5, 2017 TOUR LEADER: STUART BARRIE

Overview Follow the journey of Frank Lloyd Wright from his original Prairie House designs to the magnificent Fallingwater and Guggenheim Museum while at the same time enjoying the wealth of art, architecture and history in some of America’s most famous cities. We begin with four nights in Chicago, the ‘second city’ of the United States, where Wright developed his Prairie style of architecture. It brims with fine buildings, art galleries and exuberant public sculpture. We then travel north to Wisconsin to see some of Wright’s most famous works as well as Taliesin, his beloved estate. Our next stop is Buffalo, near Niagara Falls, to visit the Darwin Martin complex of houses. Travelling to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, we take a day trip to America’s most famous house, Fallingwater. The tour concludes with four days in New York, home to an extraordinary range of cultural sites and experiences. We take architectural walking tours, visit major galleries and attend a Broadway show. The tour ends with Wright’s Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue. Accommodation is in comfortable four and five star hotels throughout, with breakfast daily, and several special meals at carefully chosen restaurants are included.

Your tour leader Stuart Barrie has a passion for US history and the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, developed over many years of research and travel. Stuart started leading tours in the 1980’s and has led tours ever since, primarily focused on twentieth century history. He started to focus on the rise of America to its super power status and the incredible influence it has permeated through to other Western societies in popular culture and through architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright was the first proponent of a

uniquely American style of architecture and his influence can be seen throughout the world today. Stuart designed our Frank Lloyd Wright tour and has led it several times. He holds a Masters degree from the University of New South Wales and is a co-founder of Academy Travel.

Enquiries and bookings

For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Erin Laffin at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email erin@academytravel.com.au

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT CHICAGO TO NEW YORK

Tour dates: October 22 – November 5, 2017

Tour leader: Stuart Barrie

Tour Price: $11,790 per person, twin share

Single Supplement: $2,710 for sole use of double room

Booking deposit: $500 per person

Recommended airline: Qantas or United

Maximum places: 20

Itinerary: Chicago (4 nights), Madison (2 nights), Buffalo (2 nights), Pittsburgh (2 nights), New York (4 nights)

Date published: December 5, 2016

Itinerary including extension

Refuel Continuing Professional Development Provider Academy Travel are recognised Australian Institute of Architects Refuel providers of Continuing Professional Development (CPD). This tour provides a tour participant with 10.0 Informal CPD points – AACA Competency: Design. Members of the Australian Institute of Architects are recommended to complete 20 hours of CPD per annum, of which a minimum of 10 hours must be formal CPD.

Tour Highlights

FALLINGWATER The ultimate expression of organic architecture, we enjoy an in-depth tour of Wright’s most famous design, Fallingwater, the magnificent home built for the Kaufmann family on top of a waterfall.

THE GLASS HOUSES Private tours of both of the modernist Glass Houses – Ludwig Mies’s Farnsworth House in Illinois and Philip Johnson’s home in Connecticut. Seemingly identical but very different from each other.

NEW YORK CITY Four days to enjoy highlights such as a before-hours visit to the Museum of Modern Art, walking tours of Art Deco architecture, the Highline and Brooklyn Heights and a Broadway Musical.

WRIGHT’S HOME Full estate tour of Wright’s home for 30 years that was the site of many of the dramas in his life and the inspiration for many of his masterpieces.

BUFFALO Indepth tours of the Darwin Martin complex and Graycliff, both built for one of Wright’s greatest patrons, with an afternoon at Niagara Falls.

Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D.

Sunday October 22 arrive

Arrive in Chicago and meet your tour leader and fellow travellers for a welcome drink. Overnight Chicago

Monday October 23 Downtown Chicago

The Great Fire of 1871 destroyed the entire Chicago CBD, leaving the way open for architects to design a new and modern city. The first steel-framed high rise building rose in 1885 and the skyline today is densely packed with skyscrapers, many by renowned architects. Our walking tour this morning takes us past some of the city’s most iconic buildings. We visit the lobby of the Rookery Building, the masterpiece of Daniel Burnham and remodelled by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905. In the afternoon we take the Chicago Architectural Foundation river cruise to gain an overview of the city’s historic and modern architectural styles. Tonight we have dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Chicago (B, D)

Tuesday October 24 Frank Lloyd Wright – the early years & SC Johnson

Today we take a private coach tour of Oak Park. This Chicago suburb is where Frank Lloyd Wright lived and worked and where much of his early work can still be found. We have an interior tour of Wright’s home and studio, which Wright used as his architecture laboratory for his early designs. We then view the numerous examples of Prairie Style architecture in the surrounding neighbourhood. In the afternoon we drive north to Racine, Wisconsin to visit the SC Johnson Wax Administration Building and Research Tower. The Administration Building was described by Philip Johnson as the “most beautiful room in America.” Overnight Chicago (B)

Wednesday October 25 Chicago art and architecture

We begin our day with a walk through Millennium Park. Originally occupied by railyards and parking lots, the area was redeveloped into a public space featuring an outdoor concert venue, gardens, restaurants and some spectacular art installations. From here we make our way to the highly-regarded Art Institute of Chicago, boasting a fine collection of both European and American painting and over 60 ‘decorated rooms’ – accurately reconstructed furnished interiors from a broad range of times and places. After a private guided tour, there is time to explore the collection independently and a break for lunch. In the afternoon we travel by coach for a private interior visit and cocktail

reception in Robie House, perhaps the fullest expression of Wright’s Prairie Style in Chicago. Our trip takes us through the ‘White City’ – the site of the 1893 World’s Fair. Schedules permitting, tonight we will attend a concert performance. Overnight Chicago (B)

Thursday October 26 FarNSWORTH HOUSE

This morning we will travel to Plano to visit Farnsworth House designed by Mies van der Rohe and considered a masterpiece of the International Style of architecture. We then travel north to see Jacobs House I, the first Usonian home, Wright’s ideal of the new world architecture free of previous conventions. We arrive in Madison, Wisconsin, our base for two nights. Tonight we dine in our hotel. Overnight Madison (B, D)

Friday October 27 Taliesin

This remote site on land owned by Wright’s family was the architect’s home from 1911, and is of central importance to understanding Wright. Taliesin was twice burned down and rebuilt. It was also the scene of the horrific 1914 axe murder of Wright’s lover, her children and several employees. A complex of buildings, combining Prairie Style and oriental influences, it was here that Wright designed Fallingwater, the Guggenheim Museum and other key works. We tour the house, the grounds and the studio, today an important training centre for emerging American architects. In the afternoon we visit the Unitarian Meeting House, designed by Wright and recognised as one of the most innovative examples of church architecture. Tonight is a free evening. Overnight Madison (B)

Saturday October 28 Upstate New York

This morning we take a flight from Madison to Buffalo, New York. Located on the shores of Lake Erie, Buffalo rose to prominence in the early 19th century, when the Erie Canal was completed, connecting the Chicago and the Mid-West with the Hudson River, New York City and the world beyond. Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state and has many significant buildings, including Louis B Sullivan’s Garanty Building and Daniel Burnham’s Ellicott Square building. This afternoon we tour some of these sites and dine in a local restaurant. Overnight Buffalo (B, D)

Sunday October 29 Wright in BUFFALo, Niagara Falls

Between 1903 and 1908 Frank Lloyd Wright built a number of fine examples of his Prairie Style houses in Buffalo, and we survey these today, and visit the Darwin D. Martin House. Most of the houses were built for executives of the Larkin Soap Factory and are located in the Parkside East Historic District, a neighbourhood laid out by renowned

Images clockwise – top left: Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate, reflecting and distorting the city's skyline in Millennium Park; a previous group enjoying a private interior visit and cocktail reception in Robie House; Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House in Oak Park; the highly innovative Darwin D. Martin House in Buffalo, New York; the striking interior of the Johnson Wax headquarters; and American Gothic by Grant Wood in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago

American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted in 1876 (Olmstead is also largely responsible for New York’s Central Park). This afternoon we relax at Niagara Falls, one of America’s foremost natural wonders. Overnight Buffalo (B)

Monday October 30 Pittsburgh

We travel along the shores of Lake Erie to visit Graycliff, the summer home built by Wright for Darwin Martin, which is undergoing extensive renovation. We continue onto Pittsburgh this morning, a city whose name is synonymous with the coal and steel industry. The city’s wealth contributed to its rich cultural heritage and few patrons were as generous as Andrew Carnegie, a Pittsburgh-based industrialist who made his fortune out of steel and endowed many of the city’s cultural institutions. Tonight we have dinner in the hotel. Overnight Pittsburgh (B, D)

Tuesday October 31 Private tour of fallingwater

We depart Pittsburgh early today and make our way to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater where we enjoy a private interior tour of the house. Completed in 1939, its dramatic setting over a river and revolutionary modernist architecture made the house instantly famous. Built for the wealthy Kaufmann family, who made their fortune in retail, Fallingwater was a private retreat until the early 1960’s, when the house and several hundred acres of land around it were entrusted to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. We also visit nearby Kentuck Knob, a private house built for the Hagen family in 1954 and a good example of Wright’s later style. The current owner, Lord Palumbo, has also installed an impressive contemporary sculpture garden on the property. We return to Pittsburgh this evening. Overnight Pittsburgh (B)

Wednesday November 1 Warhol and New York

Before departing Pittsburgh today, we visit the Andy Warhol Museum. The sometimes controversial artist was a Pittsburgh native, and the recently-opened museum contains a broad sampling of his oeuvre. We then head to Pittsburgh airport for our afternoon flight to New York. After checking into our centrally located hotel we’ll enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight New York (B, D)

Moving around New York

Most of our travel from site to site in New York will be in taxis. Taxis are much faster than buses and give us total flexibility in the program. On one or two occasions we will also use the city’s subway system. Please note that there is considerable walking in the New York section of the tour.

Thursday November 2 Midtown Art Deco

This morning we explore some of the Art Deco modern architecture of New York’s Midtown district. We explore icons such as the Chrysler Building, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and the General Electric Building. We enjoy lunch at Cipriani Dolci, located in the main hall of Grand Central, a magnificent Beaux Arts building. The afternoon and evening are free. Overnight New York (B, L)

Friday November 3 Moma and downtown

This morning we enjoy a private tour of MoMA, New York’s famous Museum of Modern Art, enjoying the museum’s greatest works before the museum opens its doors to the public. Following the tour you have free time to explore the museum’s collections. In the afternoon we head downtown to walk down Wall Street and visit the moving September 11 memorial at the World Trade Center site. This evening we head to the theatre district for a top-flight Broadway show. Overnight New York (B)

Saturday November 4 GLASS HOUSE and LOWER EAST SIDE

We travel by train to Connecticut for a tour of Philip Johnson’s Glass House. Designed by Johnson for his own residence, the house was derived from Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House and is an essay in minimal structure and the effects of transparency and reflection. The afternoon is free. Tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight New York (B, D)

Sunday November 5 Guggenheim

On our final morning we take a detailed look at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue, Frank Lloyd Wright’s final architectural masterpiece and a New York icon. Mid-afternoon we transfer to New York’s JFK airport, where the tour ends. (B)

Images clockwise – top left: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Kentuck Knob; a classic example of Art Deco architecture, the Chrysler Building is considered by many contemporary architects to be one of the finest buildings in the world; the unique snail shell curves of the Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue; Andy Warhol’s self portrait in the Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; and the view from the living room towards the west terrace at Fallingwater

Extend your stay in New York

Our four days in New York concentrates on the city’s architectural heritage. There is much, much more to see, so please contact us if you would like to book additional nights’ accommodation in New York.

THE KAUFMANNS OF PITTSBURGH

Fallingwater is an iconic building of the 20th century, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s undisputed masterpiece. While the story of Wright’s life and work is a compelling one (especially his, er, complicated love life), some of his clients are just as interesting. None more so that the Kaufmanns, who commissioned Fallingwater.

If Frank Lloyd Wright were alive today his clients would be the digital aristocracy of Silicon Valley – innovators and entrepreneurs looking for an architect whose aesthetic and design would reflect their iconoclastic and forward-looking vision. In their day, Wright’s clients were innovators in the industrial and commercial sphere. They were naturally drawn to Wright, and Wright to them. Without such clients, Wright would never have been able to design the way he did.

On the face of it the Kaufmanns, owners and operators of prosperous Pittsburgh’s largest department store, were traditional people in a traditional industry and unlikely clients for Wright. But it was the way in which they approached retailing that made them stand out. Every year Lilian Kaufmann would travel to Europe, personally selecting the stock and keeping abreast with store design. Indeed, the ladies department on the upper floor of their store was considered second-only to Galleries Lafayette in Paris. And today, Edgar Kaufmann’s office desk from the Pittsburgh store is displayed in the V&A Museum in London – a supreme example of modern design.

Edgar and Lilian’s interest in art and design rubbed off on

their son Edgar Jr, who became director of the Industrial Design Department at MoMA and later ensured that Fallingwater was preserved for all via a publically managed conservancy.

If you know something of Wright’s personal life, then you will not be surprised that his client-architect relationships were not always smooth. Wright was routinely in dispute with his clients, but the following exchange shows how well the experienced businessman Edgar Kaufmann could handle his excitable architect.

I don’t know what kind of architect you are familiar with but it apparently isn’t the kind I think I am. You seem not to know how to treat a decent one. I have put so much more into this house than you or any other client has a right to expect that if I haven’t your confidence — to hell with the whole thing. — Frank Lloyd Wright

Dear Mr. Wright, I don’t know what kind of clients you are familiar with but apparently they are not the kind I think I am. You seem not to know how to treat a decent man. I have put so much confidence and enthusiasm behind this whole project in my limited way, to help the fulfilment of your effort that if I do not have your confidence in the matter— to hell with the whole thing. — Edgar J. Kauffman

P.S. Now don’t you think we should stop writing letters and that you owe it to the situation to come to Pittsburgh and clear it up by getting the facts?…

Kaufman trio on the bridge at Fallingwater

Hotels Hotels have been selected principally for their central location. Chicago – Burnham Hotel (4 nights) The historic Reliance Building and close to Millennium Park, the Art Institute of Chicago and Symphony Center. www.burnhamhotel.com Madison Wisconsin - Madison Concourse Hotel (2 nights) Located in the heart of downtown Madison, close to the lakefront and State Capitol. www.concoursehotel.com Buffalo - Hotel Lafayette (2 nights) French Renaissance-style building incorporating a brewery, 3 restaurants, apartments and boutique hotel. www.buffalobrewerydistrict.com Pittsburgh Pennsylvania - Omni William Penn Hotel (2 nights) The last building venture of industrialist Henry Clay Frick, the hotel is a stunning example of Art Deco style. www.omnihotels.com New York - Warwick Hotel (4 nights) The hotel sits adjacent to MoMA, in walking distance to Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center. www.warwickhotelny.com

Tour Price The tour price is $11,790 per person, twin share (land content only). The supplement for a single room is $2,710 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure a place on the tour.

Included in the tour price

All accommodation in carefully selected four star hotels All breakfasts, and selected lunches and dinners in

hotels and local restaurants Land travel by air-conditioned coach, rail or taxi as

required Economy class air travel from Madison to Buffalo and

Pittsburgh to New York Extensive background notes Background talks Services of Australian tour leader throughout tour All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary Tickets to performances in Chicago and New York Qualified local guides Tips for all services stated as included in the itinerary Porterage of one piece of luggage at all hotels

Not included

International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below) Travel insurance Visa costs Meals not mentioned in itinerary Expenses of a personal nature

Air travel OPTIONS The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour we recommend Qantas or United who have regular flights to the East Coast. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers.

Enquiries & bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Erin Laffin at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email erin@academytravel.com.au

Weather on Tour October is a great time to travel to the United States. Autumn has definitely arrived, but not the summer heat and humidity. Expect daytime temperatures of 16-25 degrees Celsius, dropping to 8-10 in the evenings. It is likely to rain on a few days of the tour, so be sure to pack an umbrella and waterproof jacket.

A guest room (above) at the Burnham Hotel, Chicago; and the Warwick Hotel (below) on 54th Street, New York

Fitness Requirements of THIS tour

Grade Three

It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.

Participation criteria for this tour

This Grade Three tour is among our most physically demanding. To participate on this tour, you should be able to comfortably undertake up to seven hours per day, over several days. Activities may include travelling long distances, walking on difficult terrain, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, exposure to high altitudes and long days of touring. These tours may include one night stops and early starts. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 5-7 kilometres at a moderate pace with only

short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and

museums tolerate varying climatic conditions such as cold weather a reasonable level of physical and respiratory fitness walk up and down slopes negotiate steps and slopes on sites or mountain paths,

which are often uneven and unstable get on and off a large coach with steep steps, train or

boat unassisted, possibly with luggage move your luggage a short distance if required

A note for older travellers

We regret that we are not able to accept bookings on a Grade Three tour from people more than 80 years old, or with restricted mobility.

visa requirements In order to enter the United States all travellers are now required to complete an online form, the US government’s Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (or ESTA). Full details are available at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov In making the application you will need details of your arriving flight to the USA and also need to provide the name and address of the first hotel we are staying at. Our first hotel for this tour is:

Burnham Hotel, Chicago 1 W. Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601 Phone: 312-782-1111

The cost of the ESTA is currently USD $14 and you should receive an authorisation immediately. Print a copy of your ESTA and carry it with you on your flight.

USA travel advice Overall, the United States is a safe place to travel, but you should take sensible precautions. There is no need to feel concerned while on tour – just be aware of your surroundings and keep an eye on your belongings at all times. Tipping is widespread in the United States, and often baffling and slightly distasteful for Australian visitors. Every service provider from a taxi driver to a hairdresser expects a tip of 15-20%. Whether you agree or not with tipping as a principle, it will be expected and as a visitor you will find yourself reminded about ‘gratuities’ in a most unsubtle fashion. Group tips to restaurants, drivers and local guides are included in the tour cost. The cost of medical services in the USA is very high and it is essential you have good insurance coverage. Check carefully the limits to coverage for medical expenses, disruption of your travel plans, theft, repair and replacement of luggage on your policy. If you are not satisfied with them, look for another policy or talk to the insurance company about having limits raised. This is especially important for older travellers, as many policies limit the amount paid for medical claims according to your age.

Overview For those that want a complete Frank Lloyd Wright experience, there is an opportunity to visit his concrete textile block houses in Los Angeles and Taliesin West – his desert home for nearly 30 years and still the home of the Wright Fellowship and the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.

Cost of extension

The extension price is $3,280 per person, twin share (land content only). The supplement for a single room is $1,640 per person.

Included in the price

All breakfasts, and selected dinners in hotels and local restaurants

Land travel by air-conditioned private coach Economy class air travel from Los Angeles to

Phoenix and Phoenix to Chicago Services of Australian tour leader throughout tour All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary

Itinerary

Tuesday October 17 Santa Monica and the Getty Center

Arrival into Los Angeles where we begin our tour with an afternoon visit to the Getty Center with its modern design by Richard Meier, the collection of J. Paul Getty and stunning views of Los Angeles. We return to Santa Monica for dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Santa Monica, Los Angeles (D)

Wednesday October 18 HOLLYHOCK HOUSE & DOWNTOWN LA

This morning we begin with an interior visit of Hollyhock House, Wright’s first Los Angeles commission and originally designed to be part of an arts and theatre complex for Aline Barnsdall. We continue on to discover some of the other unique architectural gems of Los Angeles including the Bradbury Building. Tonight, we will enjoy a performance at the Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall (subject to availability). Overnight Santa Monica (B)

Thursday October 19 EAMES & NEUTRA HOUSES

Los Angeles was one of the centres of mid century modernism attracting leading proponents of the emerging architectural style. Today we explore classic examples of two of these – the Ray and Charles Eames Case Study House No 8 followed by a walking tour of Neutra Village – the largest concentration of buildings designed by Richard Neutra. The afternoon is free to explore Santa Monica and its famous Pier and nearby Venice Beach. Overnight Santa Monica (B)

Friday October 20 Phoenix, Arizona

This morning we fly to Phoenix Arizona for our two night stay at the “Jewel in the Desert”, the Arizona Biltmore Hotel designed in partnership between Frank Lloyd Wright and Albert Chase McArthur. Overnight Phoenix, Arizona (B)

Saturday October 21 Taliesin West

Wright’s beloved winter home and deeply connected to the surrounding desert, Taliesin West was built and maintained almost entirely by Wright and his apprentices, making it one of his most personal creations. We enjoy a behind the scenes tour and return in the evening for a special night tour. Overnight Phoenix (B)

Sunday October 22 Chicago

Today we fly to Chicago where the main tour program begins.

Los Angeles & Taliesin west Frank Lloyd Wright Extension: October 17-22, 2017

Above: Wright’s beloved winter home, Taliesin West Below: The Ray and Charles Eames Case Study House No 8

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