“The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.”
― Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright’s goals and influence preceded, then paralleled, then overlapped, and finally passed and surpassed, the American Craftsman style…well into the 1940’s and ‘50s.

The open miles upon miles of Prairie, omnipresent in the Midwest, inspired Wright and others of the Prairie School to design horizontally emphasized homes that complemented their surroundings. They engendered the same feelings evoked by those practically endless wide-open vistas. Specifying warm earth tones and use of locally obtainable and affordable building materials, including stone, wood, and glass was what Wright called “Organic architecture.” He was a true environmentalist.

This discipline also called for artisanal crafting, and was an attempt to develop a truly genuine American style of Architecture, without borrowing from others (even those in the American Craftsman movement owed something to their English counterparts, as they rebelled against lack of individuality.) This soulless lack was a byproduct of the Industrial Evolution).

Wright’s detailing included designing American-influenced fonts, which can be seen and/or specified on many Atlas signs and plaques.

Besides accountability, much of the emphasis on designing homes for the working and middle class was put on making them economical.

Wright spent much time in Wisconsin; the Oak Park suburb of Chicago; and Arizona, although he did a stint in Berlin, and he designed the magnificent Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

Frank Lloyd Wright also created a number of beautiful radically designed homes in Oak Park, Illinois. Each year there is a daylong tour of private homes and public buildings designed by Wright and his contemporaries. Next year’s Wright Plus will be held on Saturday, May 21, 2016.

Let’s get back to the Atlas plaques that could add more beauty to your home.

Trick or Treat?

Spooky!

The kids are back in school and winter is just around the corner. That means it’s just about time to start thinking about Halloween!

What’s somewhat interesting about Halloween is that it only developed into its modern form, complete with trick-or-treating and costumes in the late 1930’s. On the other hand, the tradition of pumpkin carving is based on the tradition of turnip carving, which comes from Ireland and England. The original idea was the carving a turnip would maintain the souls trapped in purgatory.

But the most prominent feature of Halloween is the scare factor. Spooky attractions and decorations are sprinkled throughout cities and towns, with splashes of humor as well. If you’re looking for an ornament that will last through the years, check out our signs, clocks, and ornaments. At our Etsy Shop, we have skull ornaments in the Ready to Ship section. We also have a Spooky Skull clock, but we can also do a custom sign. Just let us know what you want, and we’ll get it to you within two weeks plus shipping.

As always, all of our signs, plaques, clocks, and ornaments are made here in Lake Mills, Wisconsin from American Materials and Labor.