The Man Behind the Curtain

By Lee Bey

Edward Humrich, creator of the house in our May/June 2008 Old-House Living feature (Humrich Maneuver), designed more than 40 homes, primarily on Chicago's North Shore and in the northern suburbs. Born in Chicago in 1901, Humrich never formally studied architecture—in fact, he never even went to high school. Instead, he was trained as a musician. He became a self-taught architectural designer while working in real estate selling co-op apartments in the 1920s, and later worked for Chicago residential architect Robert Seyfarth, whose work showed some Prairie School influences.

Humrich hung out his own shingle in the late 1940s. His practice blossomed in the 1950s and 1960s as he developed a reputation for being an architect who could both design a home in harmony with the existing landscape and create a naturalist landscape of his own.

Stylistically, Humrich's work—glassy houses with extensive use of common brick and natural wood—was strongly influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright. Humrich was loathe to directly reproduce anyone else's style, instead finding inspiration in this Wright quote, which he often repeated: Never copy anything. Try to find the principles involved and work out your own answer.

Humrich's homes were also highly functional, giving owners an array of built-in cabinetry and furniture. Humrich passed his architectural licensing test in 1968 (at age 67!) and stayed in practice until 1987. He died in Zion, IL in 1991.

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