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Avery Coonley was born in Rochester, New York, on Oct 10, 1870 to John Clark and Lydia Arms (Avery) Coonley. They moved to Chicago In 1873. John Clark Coonley, a wealthy attorney and business man, past away in 1882. Lydia Avery Coonley was born in Virginia on Jan 31, 1845 to Benjamin Franklin and Susan Look Avery. Lydia Avery Coonley (Avery Coonley's mother) became the heiress to a fortune, derived from the manufacturing of farm machinery. She became a writer, publishing many poems and books. One poem entitled "Indian Summer", was published in the Nov 3, 1894 "The Outlook". She compiled a number of poems and published "Singing Verses for Children". She was also the author of "Under The Pines and Other Verses", published in 1895 by another client of Wright’s, Chauncey Williams, of Way & Williams. She also wrote and published "Washington and Lincoln". She was active in the women’s movement, and was president of the Chicago Women’s Club from 1895-1896. On March 18, 1897, Lydia Avery Coonley, a wealthy Chicago widow, married Naturalist Henry Augustus Ward. He owned the largest meteor collection in the world.
Avery Coonley graduated from Harvard, then took graduate work at M.I.T. He married Queene Ferry of Detroit, Michigan in1901. A businessman and industrialist, he was very active in a number of businesses. Manufacturing, publishing, merchandising, real estate and live stock to name a few. He was a director of "The Dial Co.", owned by another of Wright’s clients, FrancisFisher Browne (Browne’s Bookstore). He coauthored "Christian Science and the Bible" in 1915.
Queene Ferry Coonley, born Addie Elizabeth Ferry, (1874-1958), was born in Detroit to garden seed magnate Dexter Ferry and his wife Addie. Queene graduated from Vassar College in 1896, married Avery Coonley in 1901. They had one child, Elizabeth Ferry Coonley, born in 1902.
Mrs. Avery (Queene Ferry) Coonley, a believer in early childhood education, attempted to enroll her daughter in Kindergarten. She was denied entrance because her daughter was not yet five. In 1906, Mrs. Coonley formed the Cottage School in Riverside, Illinois, a private independent school. In 1912, Wright designed the Coonley Playhouse to accommodate the growth of the Cottage School. The school continued to grow, and In 1916, moved to a new facility. In addition to her duties at school she was treasurer of the National Women’s Party; a trustee of Vassar College and vice president of the Progressive Education Association.
In 1920, Avery Coonley past away at only fifty years of age. In 1929, in honor of her late husband, she changed the name to the Avery Coonley School. In 1954, Queene Ferry Coonley published "Great thoughts: an anthology of sayings, garnered over the years". She past away in the same year a Wright, 1959. The Avery Coonley still functions as a school today in Downer’s Grove, Illinois.BOOKS CERAMIC PHOTOGRAPHS POSTERS
BOOKS Date: 1970
Title: Riverside, A Village in a Park (Soft Cover) (Published by The Frederick Laws Olmsted Society of Riverside, Riverside, Illinois)
Author: Heidrich, Robert W.
Description: Pages 30-31: "Formost of Riverside’s architectural works is the celebrated Coonley House at Coonley and Bloomingbank Roads. Of stucco and ornamental tile, it was completed in 1908, establishing once and for all Frank Lloyd Wright's supreme virtuosity in residential design. This is one of his Prairie Houses, also known as a Zoned House, with each function of the household in a separate wing. A gardener’s cottage and greenhouse were added in 1911. A playhouse in 1912. The Frank Lloyd Wright house at 150 Nuttall Road (Tomek - S.128), built in 1907, is referred to as the Ship House, the porch at one end giving the effect of the brow of a ship and the long bank of windows on the second floor resembling portholes… These two houses are studied by architects and students from all over the world." Includes a groundplan and aerial perspective of the Coonley House, as well as one photograph of Coonley Playhouse. (First Edition)
Size: 5.5 x 8.5
Pages: Unpaginated (Pp 40)
S#: 1846.38.0919Date: 1980 Publication: Frank Lloyd Wright: Drawings for the Coonley House
Author: Hasbrouck, Marilyn
Description: Printed in conjunction with an exhibition on Nov 15 - Dec 31, 1980, Prairie Avenue Bookstore. (First Edition)
Pages: 8
1980.03.0902
Date: 2014 Title: Coonley House Drawings (Soft Cover, Wire Bound) (Published by John Randal Publishing and Wilkerson & Hughes, LLC. Regina, SK, Canada, Altoona, Florida)
Author: John Randal Publishing; Wilkerson & Hughes
Description: The Coonley house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 20th century. It is located in Riverside, IL near Chicago. This is considered an important example of Prairie Home designs by Frank Lloyd Wright. This book is entirely composed of measured drawings conducted by the American Historical Building Survey. The original drawings were scanned and reduced to a full size book format. The pages contain high resolution black line drawings on Cream color paper. Original list price $6.95. (First Edition)
Size: 8.5 x 11
Pages: Pp 17
ST#: 2014.15.1014
CERAMIC Date: 1993 Description: Avery Coonley Teapot & Two Cups, Art Institute of Chicago
1993.17.0800
PHOTOGRAPHS Date: 1908
Description: Coonley Residence (1907 - S.135) 1908. View of the Pool and Terrace. Avery and Queene Ferry Coonley are on the right. Their daughter Elizabeth is playing by the pool in the center. Verso: "Photographed by Clarence Fuermann, The Chicago Architectural Photographing Co." Published in "Frank Lloyd Wright Ausgefuhrte Bauten", Wright, 1911, p 119.
Size: Original 10 x 8 B&W photograph.
S#: 0085.20.0112
Date: 1908
Title: Coonley Residence 1908 (1907 - S.135 ).
Description: Copy of the photograph published in "Frank Lloyd Wright Ausgefuhrte Bauten, 1911, p.117. View of the Pool and Terrace. Photographed at the same time as S#85.20. The children’s playroom is on the first level in the center. The main level is the upper level. The Living Room is in the center above the children’s playroom, the Dining Room is on the left. Photographed by Clarence Fuermann, The Chicago Architectural Photographing Co."
Size: Original 16 x 20 B&W photograph.
S#: 0085.40.0218Date: 1908
Title: Avery Coonley Residence, Riverside, Illinois, 1908 (1907 - S.135 ).
Description: Back elevation viewed from the Northwest. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1907. The Coonley’s daughter Elizabeth is standing by a tree. The swimming pool is to the far right. The children’s playroom is on the first level in the center. The main level was raised to the upper level. The Living Room is in the center above the children’s playroom, the Dining Room is on the left. "The Coonley house is one of the great masterpiece of all time. In it the architect has been given full reign to produce a work in which every facet came from his own imagination, and produced a unity we rarely see in the world of architecture." Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, Frank Lloyd Wright Monograph 1907-1913, 1987/1991, p.2. Published in Frank Lloyd Wright, Ausgefuhrte Bauten, Wright, 1911, p.119. Mounted to gray board. Label pasted to board: "182, R52453, B13C, 41. Riverside, Illinois. Coonley House. 1907-1908. Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright (1969- ). Label pasted to verso: Gift of the Carnegie Corporation." Photographed by Clarence Fuermann, The Chicago Architectural Photographing Co. Acquired from the archives of the University of Minnesota.
Size: Original 9 x 6.5 B&W Photograph.
S#: 0085.48.0420Date: 1910 Description: Coonley Living Room (1907 - S.135 ) Circa 1910. View of the right side. Copper Urn on the right. Photographed by Henry Fuermann. High res digital image. For more information see our Wright Study on Browne’s Bookstore.
Size: 8 x 5.5
0094.09.0311
Date: 1910
Title: Coonley Living Room Circa 1910 (1907 - S.135 ).
Description: View of the right side of the Living Room. Very similar to the view in FLW Ausgefurhrte Bauten, Wright, 1911, p.124. A Wright designed Copper Urn is on the right. This print was used by The University Prints. Cambridge, Mass., for publishing "A Special Study Set of Fine Art Reproductions" 1961, plate 81. Acquired from the archives of The University Prints. Cambridge, Mass. Photographed by Henry Fuermann. 8 x 5.5 Print.
Size: Original 10 x 4 B&W photograph.
S#: 0094.53.0118Date: 1910 Description: Coonley Living Room (1907 - S.135 ) Circa 1910. View of the left side. Copper Urn on the left. Photographed by Henry Fuermann. High res digital image. For more information see our Wright Study on Browne’s Bookstore.
Size: 8.5 x 6.5
0094.10.0311
Date: 1910 Description: Coonley Living Room Hall (1907 - S.135 ) Circa 1910. Hallway viewed from Living Room. Photographed by Henry Fuermann. High res digital image. For more information see our Wright Study on Browne’s Bookstore.
Size: 10 x 7.5
0094.11.0311
Date: Circa 1910
Title: Coonley Residence Living Room Hall Circa 1910 (1907 - S.135 ).
Description: Copy of the photograph published in "Frank Lloyd Wright Ausgefuhrte Bauten" p.125. Hallway viewed from Living Room. One of two Wright designed Urns can be seen in the center. Photographed by Henry Fuermann.
Size: Original 16 x 20 B&W photograph.
S#: 0094.54.0218Date: Circa 1910
Title: Coonley Living Room Hall (1907 - S.135 ) Circa 1910.Description: Hallway looking toward Living Room. Two Urns were placed symmetrically in the Living Room. Wright used this same symmetry in the Waller Dining Room and possibly his own Dining Room. Photographed by Henry Fuermann. High res digital image. For more information see our Wright Study on Browne’s Bookstore.
Size: 10 x 7.5
S#: 0094.12.0311
Date: Circa 1910
Title: Avery Coonley Residence, Riverside, IL, Living Room Hall Circa 1910 (1907 - S.135).
Description: View of the Living Room Hall, from the Dining Room toward the Living Room. Two copper urns were placed symmetrically in the Living Room, one can be seen on the left, the other in the background in the center. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1907. A very similar view was illustrated in the Ausgeführte Bauten in 1910, Plate LVIa (56a), and the same similar view was published in both Frank Lloyd Wright Ausgeführte Bauten, 1911, p.121, and Frank Lloyd Wright Chicago, 1911, p.99. Stamped on verso: "Chicago Architectural Photo Co.," and "Photographic Archive, Art History Department, University of Minnesota." Hand written on verso: "F. L. Wright. The Avery Coonley House (Gallery). Riverside, Illinois 1908." Photographed by the Chicago Architectural Photographing Company, Chicago. Acquired from the archives of the University of Minnesota.
Size: Original 10 x 8 B&W photograph.
S#: 0094.72.0420
(Left: Detail of the Copper Urn.)Date: Circa 1914-15 Description: Mrs. Lydia Avery Coonley Ward. The Mother of Wright client Avery Coonley (1907 - S.135) Circa 1914-15. Lydia Avery Coonley was born in Virginia on Jan 31, 1845 to Benjamin Franklin and Susan Look Avery. Lydia Avery Coonley became a writer, publishing many poems. One poem entitled "Indian Summer", was published in the Nov 3, 1894 "The Outlook". She compiled a number of poems and published "Singing Verses for Children". She was also the author of "Under The Pines and Other Verses", published in 1895 by another client of Wright’s, Chauncey Williams, of Way & Williams. She also wrote and published "Washington and Lincoln". She was active in the women’s movement, and was president of the Chicago Women’s Club from 1895-1896. On March 18, 1897, Lydia Avery Coonley, a wealthy Chicago widow, married Naturalist Henry Augustus Ward. Courtesy of the New York Public Library.
Size: Original 3 x 4.25 B&W photograph.
S#: 0124.15.0112
Date: Circa 1915 Title: Avery Coonley Playhouse (1912 - S.174) interior, circa 1915.
Description: View of the interior from the East end toward the Fireplace. In 1906, Mrs. Coonley formed the Cottage School in Riverside, Illinois, a private independent school. In 1912, Wright designed the Coonley Playhouse to accommodate the growth of the Cottage School. The Fireplace and Stage are in the background. The Kitchen is through the folding doors on the left. The Workshop is through the folding doors on the right. Wright designed art glass decorate the clerestory windows. Wright designed tables and chairs fill the Assembly area. Photographed by Henry Feurmann.
Size: 10 x 7.75 B&W photograph.
S#: 0128.13.0613
Date: 1921 Description: Mrs. Avery Coonley (1907 - S.135 ), October 14, 1921. Mrs. Avery Coonley and Miss Mary O. Wallace. This photograph taken one year after her husband, Avery Coonley past away. Queene Ferry Coonley, born Addie Elizabeth Ferry, (1874-1958), was born in Detroit to garden seed magnate Dexter Ferry and his wife Addie. Queene graduated from Vassar College in 1896, married Avery Coonley in 1901. They had one child, Elizabeth Ferry Coonley, born in 1902. Mrs. Avery (Queene Ferry) Coonley, a believer in the early childhood education, attempted to enroll her daughter in Kindergarten. She was denied entrance because her daughter was not yet five. In 1906, Mrs. Coonley formed the Cottage School in Riverside, Illinois, a private independent school. In 1912, Wright designed the Coonley Playhouse to accommodate the growth of the Cottage School. The school continued to grow, and In 1916, moved to a new facility. In addition to her duties at school she was treasurer of the National Women’s Party; a trustee of Vassar College and vice president of the Progressive Education Association. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Size: Original 7.25 x 10 B&W photograph.
S#: 0144.03.0112
Date: Circa 1923 Title: Avery Coonley Residence (1907 - S.135 ) circa 1923.
Description: View of Pool and Terrace. Living room is in the center on the second level, the Children’s Playroom is on the ground floor. The two planters on either of the three sets of doors leading to the Playroom, originally connected as a single planter, with three sets of windows. Similar view published in "The Life-Work of the American Architect Frank Lloyd Wright" 1925, Page 22.
Size: Original 5 x 7 B&W photograph.
S#: 0156.25.0613
Date: 1923
Title: Avery Coonley Residence Circa 1923 (1907 - S.135 ).
Description: View of Pool and Terrace. Living room is in the center on the second level, the Children’s Playroom is on the ground floor. The two planters on either of the three sets of doors leading to the Playroom, originally connected as a single planter, with three sets of windows. Similar view published in "The Life-Work of the American Architect Frank Lloyd Wright" 1925, Page 22. This print was used by The University Prints. Cambridge, Mass., for publishing "A Special Study Set of Fine Art Reproductions" 1961, plate 81. Acquired from the archives of The University Prints. Cambridge, Mass.
Size: Original 10 x 3.25 B&W photograph.
S#: 0156.62.0118Date: Circa 1957
Title: Coonley Residence, Riverside, Illinois. Main Entrance. Circa 1957 (1907 - S.135 ).
Description: View of the main entrance. The main entrance is through the passageway. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1907. Mounted to gray board. Label pasted to board: "Arch. U.S.A. 20th cent. Frank Lloyd Wright. Res. Avery Coonley, Riverside, Ill. (1908). Detail, entr. Wayne Andrews #1973. Indiana University, Fine Arts Department." Photographed by Wayne Andrews. Acquired from the archives of the Indiana University.
Size: Original 9.5 x 7.5 B&W Photograph.
S#: 1205.114.0920Date: 1950 Description: Mrs. Avery Coonley (1907 - S.135 ), Circa 1950. Queene Ferry Coonley, born Addie Elizabeth Ferry, (1874-1958), was born in Detroit to garden seed magnate Dexter Ferry and his wife Addie. Queene graduated from Vassar College in 1896, married Avery Coonley in 1901. They had one child, Elizabeth Ferry Coonley, born in 1902. Mrs. Avery (Queene Ferry) Coonley, a believer in the early childhood education, attempted to enroll her daughter in Kindergarten. She was denied entrance because her daughter was not yet five. In 1906, Mrs. Coonley formed the Cottage School in Riverside, Illinois, a private independent school. In 1912, Wright designed the Coonley Playhouse to accommodate the growth of the Cottage School. The school continued to grow, and In 1916, moved to a new facility. In addition to her duties at school she was treasurer of the National Women’s Party; a trustee of Vassar College and vice president of the Progressive Education Association. In 1954, Queene Ferry Coonley published "Great thoughts: an anthology of sayings, garnered over the years". She past away in the same year a Wright, 1959. Courtesy of the Avery School.
Size: Original 5 x 5.5 B&W photograph.
S#: 0831.25.0112
Date: 1974 Description: Coonley Residence Main Entrance. (1907 - S.135 ) 1974. Clipping pasted o verso: "Avery Coonley House. Evanston - Riverside is a lovely place. We’ve been thru it several times and thoroly (sp) enjoyed Sheldon Mix’s story about it ("Perfection, Your Name is Riverside," May 19). But was that the Avery Coonley House you pictured, or was it the playhouse? Mrs. Joseph Standard. Indeed it was the playhouse. Here is a photo of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Avery Coonley House, a national landmark. Sorry for he mix-up -- Ed." Stamped on clipping: "Jun 16 1974". Stamped on verso: "Apr 24 1974, J. Austad." Note: Ed still seems to be mixed-up. This is the main approach to the Coonley Residence, not the Playhouse. The Bedroom Wing in on the left, the Guest Room Wing on the right. See Select Houses 1, p170-173. Photographed by J. Austad.
Size: Original 10 x 7 B&W Print.
1963.04.0311
Date: 1981 Title: Coonley Residence Living Room End Table (1907 - S.135 ) 1981.
Description: Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1907, a table within a table. Prominently photographed in the Coonley Living Room in 1910, and included in the Wasmuth Portfolio, 1910, Plate LVI. Light oak, 25.75 (H) x 30 (W) x 16 (D). Photographed by Thomas Heinz. Acquired from Kelmscott Galleries.
Size: Two original 8 x 10 B&W photographs.
ST#: 1981.67.0413
Date: 1981 Title: Coonley Residence Living Room End Table (1907 - S.135 ) 1981.
Description: Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1907, a table within a table. Prominently photographed in the Coonley Living Room in 1910,, and included in the Wasmuth Portfolio, 1910, Plate LVI. Light oak, 25.75 (H) x 30 (W) x 16 (D). This photograph was published in "Frank Lloyd Wright", Kelmscott Galleries, 1981, page 18. Photographed by Quiriconi-Tropea Photographers. Acquired from Kelmscott Galleries.
Size: Two original 8 x 10 B&W photographs and one 4x5 B&W negative.
ST#: 1981.68.0413
Date: 1981 Title: Coonley Residence Print Cabinet (1907 - S.135 ) 1981.
Description: Designed by Wright in 1907, for the storage of Japanese prints. Six drawers, constructed of birch 27 (H) x 24 (W) x 42 (D). See Important 19th and 20th Century Architectural Objects and Designs, 1990, Lot 501. Acquired from Kelmscott Galleries.
Size: Original 6 x 4 color photograph.
ST#: 1981.69.0413
Date: 1981 Title: Coonley Residence Print Cabinet (1907 - S.135 ) 1981.
Description: Designed by Wright in 1907, six drawers, constructed of birch. Acquired from Kelmscott Galleries.
Size: Original 3 x 3color photographs.
ST#: 1981.70.0413
Date: 1981 Title: Avery Coonley Playhouse 1912 Children’s Side chair (1912 - S.174) 1981.
Description: Three-quarter view of the back. In 1906, Mrs. Coonley formed the Cottage School in Riverside, Illinois, a private independent school. In 1912, Wright designed the Coonley Playhouse to accommodate the growth of the Cottage School. Frank Lloyd Wright designed child's side chair, 1912. The holes at the top allowed the back padding to be held in place by ropes. Birch, upholstered seat, 32.5 (H) x 15 (W) x 16.5 (D). A variation of the "slant-back" chair Wright designed for his Oak Park home in 1904. Photographed by Thomas Heinz. Acquired from Kelmscott Galleries. See Wright Designed Chairs.
Size: Original 8 x 10 B&W photograph.
ST#: 1981.71.0413
Date: 1981 Title: Avery Coonley Playhouse 1912 Children’s Side chair (1912 - S.174) 1981.
Description: A pair of chairs, three-quarter view of the front. In 1906, Mrs. Coonley formed the Cottage School in Riverside, Illinois, a private independent school. In 1912, Wright designed the Coonley Playhouse to accommodate the growth of the Cottage School. Frank Lloyd Wright designed child's side chair, 1912. The holes at the top allowed the back padding to be held in place by ropes. Birch, upholstered seat, 32.5 (H) x 15 (W) x 16.5 (D). A variation of the "slant-back" chair Wright designed for his Oak Park home in 1904. Acquired from Kelmscott Galleries. See Wright Designed Chairs.
Size: Original 10 x 8 color photograph.
ST#: 1981.72.0413
Date: 1990 Description: Coonley Print Cabinet. Birch Print Cabinet designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (1908) for the Avery Coonley Residence (S.135 - 1907). Three-quarter view. Stamped on verso: "Apr 11 ‘90". Label on verso: "Curly Birch Print Cabinet, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, for the Coonely (sp) estate complex, Riverside, Illinois, 1908. $250,000 / 300,000." Caption pasted on verso: "A curly birch print cabinet, designed in 1908 by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Coonley estate complex in Riverside has a pre-sale estimate of $250,000 to 300,000." Acquired from the archives of the Associated Press.
Size: Original 7 x 5 B&W photograph.
1990.80.1110
POSTERS Date: 1988 Publication: “Frank Lloyd Wright: The Art Institute of Chicago” (Published by Art
Institute of Chicago)Author: Art Institute of Chicago
Description: “Frank Lloyd Wright (American 1867-1959). Window Triptych from the Avery Coonley Playhouse, Riverside, Illinois 1912. Clear and colored leaded glass in a wooden frame, center pane 89.5 x109.3cm; side panels 91.5x 19.8cm. each. Restricted gilt of Dr. and Mrs. Edwin J. DeCosta and the Walter E. Heller Foundation,1986-88. The art Institute of Chicago.” (First Edition)
Size: 35 x 26
1988.31.0207
