John Lloyd Wright

Who was John Lloyd Wright?

John Lloyd Wright was an American architect and toy inventor. Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Wright was the second-oldest son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. John Lloyd Wright became estranged from his father in 1909 and subsequently left his home to join his brother on the West Coast. After unsuccessfully working a series of jobs, he decided to take up the profession of his father in 1912. He was able to reconnect with his father shortly afterward, who took John under his wing. Differences in opinion regarding the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo caused the pair to again become disunited.

John Lloyd Wright took a break from architecture after this falling-out and focused on designing toys. The most successful of these inventions was Lincoln Logs in 1916, which would later be one of the original inductees into the National Toy Hall of Fame. In 1923, Wright moved to Long Beach, Indiana and designed several buildings. His style was characterized by the Prairie School of architecture with International Style influences. After marrying a third time in 1946, Wright left Indiana for Del Mar, California, where he spent the rest of his life designing houses.