Nov 26, 2008

Replogle Globes introduces Frank Lloyd Wright Collection product line

(Chicago) — The world’s leading globe producer, Replogle Globes, Inc., introduces the Frank Lloyd Wright Collection product line, featuring five hand-crafted globes for executives, travelers, historians, and connoisseurs of fine home décor, art and architecture. The globes will be available through high-end specialty stores and online dealers, which can be found at ReplogleGlobes.com.

Through an exclusive licensing partnership with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the globes have been adapted from select Wright drawings and concepts, chosen by Replogle and authorized by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. A portion of the sales will support the conservation and education programs of the Foundation.

Replogle’s five Frank Lloyd Wright Collection Globes include:
*the “Tabouret,” a 9-inch (23 cm) diameter globe with maple stand based on the tabouret table from a composite drawing showing coordinating furnishings created for Darwin D. Martin’s Buffalo, N.Y., residence in 1903;
*the “Barrel,” a 16-inch (40 cm) diameter globe with oak stand modeled from one of Wright’s most universally recognized furniture designs — the “Barrel Chair,” originally designed in 1903 and later modified for use at “Taliesin” in Spring Green, Wis., and for Herbert F. Johnson’s “Wingspread” home in Racine, Wis.
*the “San Marcos,” a 12-inch (30 cm) diameter globe with maple stand matching the 60-degree angled legs and hexagonal top of a small accent table of the San Marcos Hotel in Chandler, Ariz., circa 1936;
*the “Hexagon,” a 12-inch (30 cm) diameter globe with metal stand draws from a series of hexagonal metal chairs and furniture for the H.C. Price Tower in Bartlesville, Okla., developed in 1952;
*the “Wright,” a 16-inch (40 cm) diameter globe with maple stand, from a concept drawing for a globe stand for one of the Prairie Homes that Wright designed in the early 1900s. It has been calculated to match the scale of other drawings from this time period.

For 78 years, Replogle has been manufacturing high-quality, American-made globes. Dan Dillon, Replogle’s co-president, notes, “Replogle was founded the same year Frank Lloyd Wright was turning 63. He continued to practice nearly until his death at 91, amazing the world with his architectural ingenuity and designs. His unified, creative vision encompassed the buildings and residences he designed, as well as their landscaping, art glass, furniture, lighting and floor coverings. Today, his genius and timelessness endure in our globes.”

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation’s director of licensing and product development, Doug Volker, says, “We think that Mr. Wright had an admiration for globes. We had not thought about this as a product line until we found the original sketch/drawing of the globe stand Mr. Wright designed. This stand was never produced privately or commercially. The inquiry by Replogle to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation initiated the process to add this product to our authorized Licensing Program.”

Replogle and the Foundation meticulously reviewed more than 100 of the architect’s drawings and designs to select the five, unique examples. Dell Torgerson, Replogle’s product development manager, explains, “Each globe’s design is exact to Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs. Each piece identically matches the dimension and geometry of the furniture it’s based upon. The richly stained maple and oak wood species were carefully chosen to replicate the Prairie Period. Every stand, like every globe its holds, is a hand-made work of art.”

“The Replogle prototype and production team’s attention to detail was impeccable and we are extremely pleased with the quality,” praises Volker. “The ‘Frank Lloyd Wright Globe Stand’ is an actual reproduction and interpretation of Mr. Wright’s design and it turned out exactly as was originally intended, based on the drawing.”

The “Hexagon” also reveals an uncanny, historic connection between Replogle and Frank Lloyd Wright. Volker shares: “Just after Replogle became a licensee and they were working on the first five prototypes, I made a trip to the Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. While touring the building, we entered the office that was occupied by Mr. Price. In a triangular corner across from his desk was a large globe resting on a trapezoid, copper stand designed by Mr. Wright. The story goes that Mr. Price wanted a large wall map placed in his office. Mr. Wright convinced him that he should have a beautiful globe and stand to match the other design elements in the room instead. Well, Mr. Wright prevailed. As we rotated the original globe, we noticed the manufacturer was Replogle Globes. It was like an endorsement.”

“Each globe is steeped in history — provocative representations of Americana, while communicating the universal appeal of Wright’s work,” says Bob Mitchell, Replogle’s North American sales manager. “Wright’s style is as much contemporary as it is traditional, fitting into almost any design scheme. Furthering this breadth of possibilities, the globes in this collection are both large enough to serve as a room’s focal point, and small enough to serve as decorative accent pieces, while remaining functional and inspirational.”

About the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is a global forum for multi-disciplinary discourse about the future of the built and natural environments, promoting education, scholarship, design and research. Through programs designed to educate, inspire and motivate diverse audiences, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation advances dialogue and action to improve the quality, longevity and conservation of the built and natural environments while preserving the works and philosophies of Frank Lloyd Wright for the benefit of future generations.

Wright established the Foundation, headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 1940 to be the repository of his life’s work. The Foundation owns and operates: Taliesin in Spring Green, Wis., and Taliesin West in Scottsdale (Wright’s own homes and studios); the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture; and the Frank Lloyd Wright Archives. Both Taliesin and Taliesin West are National Historic Properties and are on the United States World Heritage Tentative List. More information about the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is at www.franklloydwright.org.

About Replogle Globes, Inc.
Founded in 1930 in Chicago by Luther Irvin Replogle, the company’s mission was “a globe in every home.” Where schools and institutions previously dominated globe purchases, Replogle created globes and mountings compatible with home furnishings and interior design styles. By 1973, the company altered its mission to “a globe in every room.” Today, the company is owned and operated by the Dieschbourg and Dillon families. Replogle now serves customers worldwide who purchase globes for use in homes, offices, schools and more. Learn more by visiting www.replogleglobes.com.