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• 1 2017-11-05T11:32:07-08:00 Thomas Casey 36 plain 2017-12-18T12:15:52-08:00

  b. 23 October 1924 - d. November 11, 2005

  
  

  Role

  Taliesin architect
   

  Dates of Involvement

  1964 - 1967
  
  July 1, 1964 - Department of Interior awards Taliesin architectural design services for Beaver Meadows
  
  June 24, 1967 - Beaver Meadows Visitor Center Dedication Ceremony
   

  Context

   

  The Beginning: Determining the Location of Beaver Meadows Visitor Center

  Taliesin's Edmund Thomas Casey was the architect for Beaver Meadows Visitor Center at Rocky Mountain National Park. In the summer of 1964, William Wesley Peters and Casey travelled to RMNP to survey two potential sites for the visitor center, the location that was eventually chosen for Beaver Meadows and another, which was about one mile further into the park, on the opposite side of the road. The location of the visitor center was a contested matter, but record holds that Casey specifically envisioned Beaver Meadows in the precise location it occupies today. As noted in correspondence and documents concerning Beaver Meadows Visitor Center construction, Casey was limited by Superintendent Liles’ desires to improve the park’s relationship to the surrounding town of Estes Park (Allaback, 2000).
  

   

  Visitor Center Construction Plans

  The design of Beaver Meadows Visitor Center is strikingly similar to Taliesin West located in Scottsdale, Arizona. In their simplicity and use of natural materials, both structures draw attention to their surrounding landscape. The construction materials Casey chose for Beaver Meadows were intended to wear away naturally in time. Native stones were brought in from the nearby town of Lyons, Colorado and the exterior steel was intended to rust in order to create a brownish-purple hue in time, as noted in Casey's blueprints. As Casey recalled in a 1998 telephone interview, the Lyons stone was found in an abandoned government-run quarry, leftover from the construction of Denver’s first federal courthouse. When the Taliesin architects stumbled upon the quarry, and found the red sandstone perfectly weathered and fitting the thickness of the stairs at Beaver Meadows, all they needed to do was haul the stones to the visitor center construction site (National Historic Register Nomination, 2001).

  
  

  Planning the Seating in the Visitor Center

  In July 1965, Kunz Construction Company broke ground. As construction continued throughout 1966, Taliesin and RMNP superintendents began to focus their work on interior decoration. As was the practice of Wrightian design, Casey and other Taliesin architects planned the seating, tables, upholstery, wood grain, and other furnishings of Beaver Meadows. Olgivanna Lloyd Wright was intensely involved in all design aspects of Beaver Meadows. In a December 1966 letter, Superintendent Fred J. Novak wrote to Casey requesting that he provide alternate seating for the auditorium. Casey had chosen custom-made double seats for the auditorium, however Novak preferred stackable, more mobile, fiberglass chairs (National Historic Register Nomination, 2001).

   

   

  Compromising

  Casey also worked with both Olgivanna Lloyd Wright and park administrator Dale Devine to obtain the furniture. Casey had to find a financial compromise between Wright’s choices and Federal Supply Schedule furnishing options. Casey also had the final say regarding the light, Duranodic bronze finish used on the stair handrails in the visitor center (Lee Collection, 1966). Duranodic was a common Alcoa trade name for an electrochemical treatment to aluminum that slowly developed color over time and protected against oxidation. Duranodic finish was most common in the early 1960s and was often found in storefront construction (Southern Aluminum Finishing, 2016).

   

   

  Education

  After serving in the United States Air Force for five years, Casey received his B.A. in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley on January 26, 1950. In a 2004 interview, Casey recalled that in his final year at Berkeley, he and other classmates became “enamored” with the design of Frank Lloyd Wright (ROMO Archives, 2004). A month after his graduation, Casey joined the Taliesin Fellowship, later renamed the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture (National Historic Register Nomination, 2001).
   

  Career

  Casey was an architect and structural engineer. In 1971, he was a Senior Fellow at Taliesin, supervising the construction of the Pearl Palace in Iran for Princess Shams Pahlavi, the sister of the last Shah. In 1978, he returned to Taliesin West. (Dillion, 2016).

  Related Objects to Explore

  Drape; Krueger Stackable Folding Chair; Oak Arm Chair; Oak Bench; Two-Seat Oak Bench
• 1 2017-11-05T11:51:28-08:00 Dedication Ceremony at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center 25 plain 2017-12-18T12:52:30-08:00

  Date

  June 24, 1967
   

  Context

  
  The Beaver Meadows Visitor Center was unveiled to the public on June 24, 1967. The building was a part of the Mission 66 initiative to make the national parks more accessible to the public. The construction of Beaver Meadows was the embodiment of Mission 66 goals coupled with the unique design of Frank Lloyd Wright's successor architectural firm, Taliesin Associated Architects. The exterior was designed by Taliesin architect, Thomas Casey and the interior furniture and colors were chosen by Olgivanna Lloyd Wright, who carried on Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural legacy after his death (National Historic Landmark Nomination, 2001). Both of these contributors to Beaver Meadows can be seen at Taliesin West in the photo below.
  

  Unfortunately, Olgivanna Lloyd Wright was not able to attend the opening ceremony and sent her regards via this telegram to park superintendent Fred Novak (ROMO Archives, 1967).  

  Congressman Wayne Aspinall gave the dedication speech at the ceremony in which he recommended the entire building be named after Enos Mills, the “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park.” His speech can be read in the attached link. This recommendation caused a stir amongst park officials who instead elected to name the visitor center auditorium in Mills’ memory (ROMO Archives, 1967).
  
  Both the invitation and program from the dedication ceremony can be viewed in the links below.
   

  Related Primary Sources to Explore

  
  Wayne Aspinall's Speech at the Dedication Ceremony (Collection 1192 Series 002.1 folder 406)
  Dedication Program (ROMO 21599 HQ Dedication)

  
  Related Objects to Explore

  
  Drape; Krueger Stackable Folding Metal Chair; Oak Bench; Oak Arm Chair;
   

• 1 2017-11-05T11:36:22-08:00 Olgivanna Lloyd Wright 20 plain 2017-12-18T08:27:28-08:00

  b. December 27, 1896- d. March 1, 1985

  
  
  Role

  President of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, and Taliesin Associated Architects (1959-1985)
  Vice President of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation (1941-1959)
  Third wife of Frank Lloyd Wright (m. on August 5, 1928)

   

  Dates of Involvement

  1924 - Moved in with Frank Lloyd Wright
  1985 - Retired
  

   

  Context

  Olgivanna Lloyd Wright maintained careful oversight of all aspects of each Taliesin project and the Taliesin Fellowship program following the death of Frank Lloyd Wright in 1959. She was a talented interior designer, contributing to several Taliesin projects, including the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center at Rocky Mountain National Park. Olgivanna is credited with selecting the distinct orange color that is seen on the upholstery and curtains today (Allaback, 2000). Her detailed attention to the aesthetic of the interior set Beaver Meadows Visitor Center apart from other Mission 66 projects. However, the National Park Service was not prepared to pay for custom-made furnishings, instead using the standard options through the Federal Supply catalog with a few custom pieces (National Historic Register Nomination, 2001). 

   

   

   

   

  Olgivanna took the helm of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, and Taliesin Associated Architects in 1959. In the “Partner to Genius” documentary following her death, James Auer postulates Olgivanna never recovered from Frank Lloyd Wright’s death, instead making it her mission to keep her husband’s name and company profitable. Auer’s documentary highlighted the partnership between the couple, claiming Olgivanna was talented in her own right, an equal match for Frank Lloyd Wright's intelligence. When invited to the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center opening ceremony, she declined with a brief note capturing at once the success of Taliesin under her leadership and her direct personality, “Unfortunately your invitation arrived too late for me to be present at the dedication ceremony. I hope that your building will be a fine contribution to beauty as well as utility” (ROMO Archives, 1967).

   

  Education

  Olgivanna grew up and attended school in Eastern Europe. She trained as a dancer at the Gurdjieff Institute where she lived and studied with George Gurdjieff.

  
  Career

  Olgivanna was a trained dancer, composer, writer, teacher, academic administrator, interior designer, author, and a patron of the arts (Auer, 1997). She also participated in the daily work at Taliesin, assisting with the interior design of several projects, including the Kaufmann House and the Guggenheim Museum. Her contributions led to a citation from the Association of Interior Architects in 1984 for her work in interior design and architectural education. Olgivanna contributed to the prestige and international reputation of her husband and their multiple programs through her work as an author. She wrote several books about her experiences with Frank Lloyd Wright and Taliesin - part propaganda to encourage students to enroll in the school and part celebration of the impressive work of Frank Lloyd Wright.
  
  
  
   

  Related Objects to Explore

  Drape; Krueger Stackable Folding Metal Chair; Oak Arm Chair; Oak Bench; Scalloped-Edge Carpet Remnant; Two-Seat Oak Bench; Wall Covering