while working on the farmlands withhis uncles were noted. This pattern of running away from one thing or anothercontinued throughout his lifetime. WRIGHT’S FIRST BREAKIn 1887, at the age of twenty, Frank Lloyd Wright moved to Chicago. During the latenineteenth century, Chicago was a booming, crazy place. With an education inengineering from the University of Wisconsin, Wright found a job as a draftsman in aChicago architectural firm. During this short time with the firm of J. Lyman Silsbee,Wright started on his first project, the “Hillside Home” for his aunts, Nell and Jane. Impatiently moving forward, Wright got a job at one of the best known firms inChicago at the time, Adler and Sullivan. Sullivan was to become Wright’s greatestmentor. LOUIS SULLIVAN: LIEBER MEISTERWright referred to Sullivan as “Lieber Meister” (beloved master). He admired histalent for ornamentation, and his skill of drawing intricate plans and designs. Wrightpicked up on the ways of Sullivan and soon became ahead of Alder in importancewithin the firm. Wright’s relationship between him and his employer caused greatamounts of tension between Wright and his fellow draftsmen, as well as with Sullivanand Adler. Wright was assigned the residential contracts of the firm. His work soonexpanded as he accepted jobs outside of the firm. When Sullivan found out aboutthis in 1893, he called Wright on a breach of contract. Rather than to drop the “nightjobs”, Wright walked out on the firm. When Wright left the company, Sullivan’squantity of contracts declined quickly. Sullivan soon ran into economic troubles andhis international reputation dwindled by 1920. Sullivan was soon regarded asworthless to the architectural world. He resorted to alcoholism and died in 1924without regaining the glory of what was held in his early years in Chicago. LIFE AFTER THE FIRMWright quickly built up a practice in residential architectur...
