This fantastic house at the intersection of modern and 60s hippie is the Greene Residence, built in 1961 by architect Herb Greene in Norman, Oklahoma. Greene built the house for himself and his family. It was dubbed the “Prairie Chicken” house by Life magazine shortly after it was built, and the name just stuck. Greene was influenced by the organic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and by architect Bruce Goff, and in turn it seems obvious that Greene’s wavy forms have influenced the work of Frank Gehry. The photo was taken by Julius Shulman, the photographer most famous for his photos of the Case Study Houses in LA but who has also photographed thousands of buildings all over the US, including many more in Oklahoma. The photos are taken from Taschen’s Modernism Rediscovered
, now also a 4-part series of Shulman’s photos of forgotten modern masterpieces, including many previously unpublished photos from Shulman’s own archives. Totally worth buying if you’re a modernism person. Julius Shulman is still working. He’s 99 years old.
More photos of the house, by Lynne’s Lens on Flickr, here.
where is the praire house located in east Norman?
Fantastic pictures!!!!
Kay
Hi Kay,
Thanks! But of course thanks has to go to Julius Shulman for his amazing photographs. I asked Lynne (see link to her OK Flickr set above) about the location of this house, because she knows as much as anyone about Oklahoma architecture. I think she won’t mind if I post her response here:
Lindsay,
The Prairie Chicken House is located at 550 NE 48th St., in
Norman. A reclusive elderly lady lives there, and she
prefers that people stay away from the house (there are No
Trespassing signs at the entrance to the driveway).
Although you can’t see the best view of the house from the
street, you can get a good glimpse of it without having to
trespass.
Hope that helps, and if you’re ever down this way, let me
know, and I’ll take you on a tour!
Lynne
Beautiful house
Lady Jane was a exceptional person