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Taylor A. Woolley papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS 0452

Scope and Contents

The Taylor A. Woolley papers (1836-1976) consist of correspondence and architectural drawings from Woolley's career as an architect. Included in the correspondence are several letters from Frank Lloyd Wright. Some of these letters concern the production of the "Wasmuth Portfolio," a monograph of Wright's early work in the prairie style. Woolley created many designs included in the monograph. The collection also contains copies and originals of architectural drawings by Woolley and various other architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, Howard Shaw, Dallas and Hedges, von Holst and Fyfe, Walter Burley Griffin, Francis Barry Byrne, and Frederick Thomas Bigger. Also included are microfilm copies of a wide selection of architectural drawings. Click here to view the digitized items from the collection.

Dates

  • 1836-1980

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Box 1, folders 1-3 contain photocopied versions of the letters for access purposes. The original items have been removed and placed in Reserve. Access must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the items if being used.

Conditions Governing Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Biographical Sketch

Taylor A. Woolley (1884-1965) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 10, 1884, the second child of Taylor Harrar Woolley and Caroline Louise Ahlstrom Woolley. After receiving architectural training in the Salt Lake City firm of Ware and Treganza, Woolley moved to Chicago where he attended classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. Beginning in 1908, he worked in the studio of Frank Lloyd Wright, and in 1910, Woolley accompanied Wright to Italy where they worked on the "Wasmuth Portfolio," a monograph of Wright's early work. Between 1911 and 1917, Woolley frequently moved between Salt Lake City, Chicago, and New York, working with Wright, Howard Shaw, von Holst and Fyfe, and Grosvenor Atterbury. He married Dorit Evans in Salt Lake City on December 15, 1915.

In 1917, Woolley returned to Salt Lake City permanently and entered a partnership with Miles Miller and Clifford Evans. Their firm practiced architecture and landscape architecture which was a new innovation in Salt Lake City at that time. Their early work was in the prairie style reflecting Wright's influence on Woolley's work. In later years, their designs moved more towards historical eclecticism. After the firm of Miller, Woolley, and Evans was dissolved in 1922, Woolley reopened an office with Evans. Woolley planned Highland Park, Wasatch Lawn Cemetery, Memory Grove, and the Utah State Capitol grounds. He also designed the Belvedere Apartments, automobile showrooms along Social Hall Avenue, "This Is The Place" Monument, and several L.D.S. chapels (some of these designs are included in MS 0466). He was elected to the presidency of the Salt Lake Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and was appointed State Architect under the administration of Governor Henry H. Blood. Woolley retired from active work in 1950. He had two children, a son, Nathan, and a daughter, Ellen Louise "Blossom." Woolley died on February 2, 1965.

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Taylor A. Woolley papers (1836-1976) consist of correspondence and architectural drawings from Woolley's career as an architect. Woolley worked in the studio of Frank Lloyd Wright before establishing a partnership with Miles Miller and Clifford Evans. He was also a member of the presidency of the Salt Lake Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and was appointed State Architect under the administration of Governor Henry H. Blood. Click here to view the digitized items from the collection.

Arrangement

Organized in three series: I. Correspondence and professional materials; II. Architectural drawings; III. Microfilm.

Related Materials

See also the Miller, Woolley, and Evans records (MS 0466) and the Miles E. Miller papers (MS 0495).

Separated Materials

Photographs transferred to the Multimedia Archives of Special Collections (P0025).

Processing Information

Processed by Tyler Horsley in 1985.

Addenda processed by Aaron Curtis in 2011, Joshua Weber in 2012, and Betsey Welland in 2014.
Title
Inventory of the Taylor A. Woolley papers
Author
Finding aid created by Aaron Curtis.
Date
2011 (last modified: 2019)
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Repository

Contact:
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863