Louis Curtiss: The Frank Lloyd Wright of Kansas City

This photo series looks at multiple buildings designed by Architect Louis Curtiss around the Kansas City metro area. Born in 1865, Curtiss was active in the late 19th-century architecture scene until his death in downtown Kansas City in 1924. His works helped shape the Kansas City we know today: buildings consisting of prairie themes, art nouveau, and southwestern styles. Often called the Frank Lloyd Wright of Kansas City, Curtiss was influential in helping deliver to Kansas City its own unique style during the city’s period of rapid growth in the early 20th century. His enduring legacy can be seen most clearly in his work on the Country Club Plaza and The Boley Building — which claims itself to be one of the first curtain wall (glass facade) buildings in the United States.