Price Tower research collection
Scope and Contents
The Price Tower research collection includes materials documenting the design, history, architectural features, and ongoing preservation legacy of Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. It offers a look at the building’s design and construction by Frank Lloyd Wright.
The collection is organized into several categories:
Photographs (c. 2004): 154 original photographs of the tower’s interior and exterior by Pat Kirkham.
Designs and correspondence (c. 1950s): reproductions of contextual information and research, many with annotated notes by Pat Kirkham. Particularly extensive documentation of the tower’s early history and architectural details. Two bound volumes compile correspondence from Harold C. Price to Frank Lloyd Wright and his others.
One 2004 copy of the Report on Floors 17, 18, and 19 of Price Tower documents the assessment and preservation recommendations by John Calvin Womack, RA.
Oral histories (1990): interview transcripts conducted by Sue Lacey for the Bartlesville, OK Landmark Preservation Council Oral History Archive in 1990 with Harold C. Price Jr., Joe Price, and others.
Digital files: copies of building photographs (300+ labeled as “Joe Price Photos” showing the tower during and after construction); images of furnishings and interiors.
Dates
- c. 1950-2005
- c. 2005 (compilation)
Conditions Governing Access
Contact archives for onsite access.
Conditions Governing Use
Use of the collection is subject to all copyright laws and the sole responsibility of the user.
Historical Note
Price Tower, located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, is the only realized skyscraper by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Constructed between 1953 and 1956, it was commissioned by Harold C. Price as a headquarters for his oil infrastructure company. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and became a National Historic Landmark in 2007.
Extent
0.42 Linear Feet (1 manuscript box)
622 Megabytes (approximately 515 digital files)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Price Tower research collection includes materials on the history, architecture, design, and preservation of Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, with a focus on its architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, and its original owner Harold C. Price. The collection includes original photographs of the tower (c. 2004), as well as reproductions of correspondence, publications and reports, architectural and furniture designs by Wright, and oral histories conducted with individuals associated with the Tower (c. 1990). Compiled by Pat Kirkham (BGC Professor Emerita), many materials are annotated with notes by Dr. Kirkham. The collection provides insights into the building’s construction, design, and legacy.
Provenance
Compiled and donated by Pat Kirkham
- Title
- Price Tower research collection
- Author
- Mike Satalof
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Bard Graduate Center, New York, NY Repository