Hanna House collection, 1900-1995

Summary

Creators:

Hanna, Paul Robert and Hanna, Aurelia

Abstract:

Correspondence, blueprints, drawings, photographs, and other records relating to the planning, design and construction of the campus home of Professor and Mrs. Paul R. Hanna.

Extent:

382 sheet(s), 5 album(s), 7 microfilm reel(s), 95 volume(s), and 46.75 Linear Feet (95 volumes, 193 architectural drawings, 5 photograph albums, 7 microfilm reels)

Language:

English .

Preferred citation:

Hanna House Collection (SC0280). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

Correspondence, blueprints, drawings, photographs, and other records relating to the planning, design and construction of the campus home of Professor and Mrs. Paul R. Hanna. The collection focuses on the Hanna's work with architect Frank Lloyd Wright extending from the initial planning of the house through later renovations.

Most of the correspondence and other records were arranged chronologically by the Hannas, with each document given a number that starts with the year of the document. These were then placed in 3-ring binders. There is a detailed index to the first 53 volumes, which is available in a separate binder. Make note of the document numbers you wish to see and then consult the listing here to find the volume number. You will need to complete a paging slip for each volume you wish to consult.

Accession 2008-247 is a photograph album of the March 1, 1977 Nissan Motor Corporation visit to the Hanna House. After ownership of the house was transferred to Stanford University, the Nissan Motor Company provided a $500,000 endowment towards its maintenance.

Biographical / historical:

In 1935, Paul and Jean Hanna commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design their home to be built on the Stanford University campus. Construction, begun in 1937, continued in four stages over 25 years. The house was the first structure in the world to use Frank Lloyd Wright's hexagonal grid system, which has subsequently been used widely in American architecture.

Physical location:

Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged 36-48 hours in advance. For more information on paging collections, see the department's website: http://library.stanford.edu/depts/spc/spc.html.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related resources

Related material:

Darwin D. Martin Papers (M0355): This extremely rich resource includes over 200 letters handwritten or typed by Wright and over 2000 letters addressed to him. There are also drafts of manuscripts, pamphlets, a host of financial and legal documents, a few· photographs, and 28 drawings, blueprints and sketches by Wright. Stanford purchased the Martin materials jointly with the State University of New York at Buffalo in June, 1982, with the agreement that the original materials be divided equally between the two institutions, Buffalo receiving those papers from 1888-1914 and Stanford holding those from 1915-1979. Eacn university in turn supplied the other with copies of their originals, thus maintaining the integrity of the collections. Both Buffalo and Stanford made subsequent and independent purchases of Martin materials designed to enhance their previous acquisitions in 1983. Stanford obtained some 500 letters, contracts, and other documents highlighting Wright's financial and legal indebtedness to Darwin D. Martin during the years 1910-1930.

George D. Sturges collection (M0494): 8 letters dating from 1941 and a set of photographic negatives by Robert Imandt of the Sturges house in Brentwood Heights, California, 1939-1941. The collection nonetheless provides valuable insights into the "skyway" house and Wright's reservations about his Taliesin apprentices.

Victoria Schuck papers (M1117): This resource details the history of a project for a house for Dr. Victoria Schuck in South Hadly, Massachusetts from 1955-70 and includes 27 letters, 3 color-pencil drawings, and 4 blueprints showing the initial and revised floor plans and elevations.

For more information see: http://purl.stanford.edu/nd730bn4620.

Additional collection guides:

Index to Microfilm: http://purl.stanford.edu/nd730bn4620

Alternative form available:

The seven microfilm rolls record three separate portions of the collection:

1. Archives: Microfilm Rolls Nos.1 - 5.

Fifty-three (53) binder volumes of correspondence with Frank Lloyd Wright and others, telegrarns, telephone notes, contracts, building specifications, financial transactions, and other items, covering a half-century from 1930 through 1981. Circa 6,000 pages of documents record the story of Mr. Wright's designing of the project, tile construction of several buildings - accomplished in five phases, the role of Stanford University, the public and architects' interest in the project, an evaluation by the clients, and many related aspects.

Each item in the Archives (Vols. 1 - 53, microfilmed on Rolls 1 - 5) is numbered consecutively for each year. To illustrate: page number 360021 is read as follows, the first two numbers of the series (36) represent the year in which the document originated (1936); the last two numbers (21) indicate that this document is the 21st item prepared in the year; 790305 will be the 305th document prepared in 1979; etc.

2. Photographs: Microfilm Roll No.6.

Five albums of photographs of the original site, stages of construction, exterior and interior shots, furniture and fUrnishings. Over 500 photos taken by professional architectural photographers and by the clients.

3. Drawings. Microfilm Roll No.7.

184 sketches and drawings (mostly blueprints) by Frank Lloyd Wright, consultants, and the Hannas.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Architecture, Domestic -- California -- Stanford.
Architecture -- California -- Stanford.
Architecture.
aesthetics, design
Design.
Architecture -- California -- 20th century.
Architecture, Modern -- 20th century.
Architecture, Domestic -- California

Names:

Hanna, Jean Shuman
Wright, Frank Lloyd, 1867-1959
Hanna, Aurelia

Restrictions:

The materials are open for research use. Audio-visual materials are not available in original format, and must be reformatted to a digital use copy.

Terms of access:

Permission in writing to reproduce any part of these materials must be obtained from the from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation or from Stanford University.

The letters, notes, drawings, and telegrams by Frank Lloyd Wright and letters from the office of Frank Lloyd Wright are copyright © 1981 by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. All rights reserved.

The microfilms are copyright © 1981 by the Architectural History Foundation and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred citation:

Hanna House Collection (SC0280). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Location of this collection:

Stanford University, University Archives

Stanford University Archives, Green Library

557 Escondido Mall

Stanford, CA 94305-6064, US

Contact:

(650) 725-1022

specialcollections@stanford.edu

Website