The Fountainheads

Speculation abounds about the relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright and Ayn Rand. Was he the inspiration for Howard Roark, architect hero of Rand's The Fountainhead? What can be made of their collaboration on the book's failed 1944 movie adaptation, and what can be gleaned from the 1949 film version of The Fountainhead? Where does harassment by the FBI (Wright was dubbed a communist sympathizer and Rand was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee) fit into the story? Art, architecture, philosophy, film and politics come together in this book, which relies on the writings of Wright and Rand, FBI files, visual evidence and more to cement their connection. There are set designs and architectural images from the 1949 film; several appendices supplement the text, and a filmography, bibliography and index are included.