John H. Howe papers
Scope and Content Note
The collection consists of architectural materials and includes working drawings, renderings, prints, photographs, job files, contracts, correspondence, and specifications for over 300 commissions, built and unbuilt. These include drawings made while at Sandstone and as a Taliesin Associated Architect in the 1940s and 1950s. There are also tape recordings of a broadcast interview with John Howe (1973) and an oral history (1989) covering his life and career.
Dates
- Creation: 1925-1989
Language of Materials
English
Restrictions on Access
The bulk of the materials in this collection are open for use by researchers by appointment. The financial records are restricted; permissions from the Curator and Lu Howe are required for access. Copies of the architectural drawings may be obtained for a fee. Please consult the Archives for further information.
Restrictions on Use
Permission from the Archives to publish materials in this collection is required.
Biographical note
John Howe was born in Evanston, Illinois, on May 17, 1913. Immediately following graduation from Evanston High School in 1932, Howe joined the Taliesin Fellowship of Frank Lloyd Wright in Spring Green, Wisconsin, becoming a charter member of the Fellowship and apprentice to Mr. Wright. During World War Two, he was incarcerated at the federal prison in Sandstone, Minnesota, for refusing to respond to his draft notice, claiming conscientious objector status. After his release in 1946, Howe rejoined Mr. Wright at Taliesin. He has often been called "the pencil in Mr. Wright's hand" for his lovely work on hundreds of architectural renderings.
Howe stayed on at Taliesin until 1964 as one of the Taliesin Associated Architects, during which time he designed more than thirty structures throughout the United States. In 1964, Howe joined the San Francisco (CA) office of Aaron Green, the West Coast representative of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and worked there until 1967. Howe then moved to Minnesota and opened an office, which he maintained until his retirement in 1992. After retirement, John Howe and his wife, Lu Sparks Howe, moved to California. He died in Novato, California, on September 21, 1997.
Extent
115 Cubic Feet
Abstract
The collections contains plans, renderings, photographs, and other materials by John H. Howe, architect.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into the following series:
- Building drawings
- Photographs
- Business Files
- Other architectural work
- Exhibits, Lectures, Publications and Clippings
- Personal Files
- Audio
(There is a more detailed finding aid in the repository for additional series: Renderings, unidentified drawings, and the Christmas Box.)
Physical Location
High Bay, Mezzanine, AV Room
Acquisition
The Papers were acquired as a gift of John and Lu Howe, 1992
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Melissa Jensen and David Ferguson, 1996; the finding aid was written by Meslissa Jensen, 1996.
Subject
- Howe, John H., 1913-199 (Person)
- Title
- John Howe H. Papers
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
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Collecting Area Details
Contact The Northwest Architectural Archives Collecting Area
