Tankard, Judith 9/08 JUDITH B. TANKARD LANDSCAPE HISTORIAN 1452 BEACON STREET WABAN, MASSACHUSETTS 02468 617-965-4167 EMAIL: judith@tankard.net FAX: 617-965-8067 Judith B Tankard - Home Page Page 1 of 1 Judith B. Tankard, Landscape Historian Home Books Articles & Reviews Lectures & Events About Info Links Contact Us Judith B. Tankard is a landscape historian, author, and preservation consultant. She received an M.A. in art history from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and has taught at the Landscape Institute, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, since 1987. In 2000, she was awarded a Gold Medal by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for her role in the advancement of historic New England gardens. She is the author or co-author of seven illustrated books on landscape history, including her most recent publications, Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes and Gardens of the Arts and Crafts Movement: Imagination and Reality. A Place of Beauty: The Artists and Gardens of the Cornish Colony won a Quill and Trowel Award from the Garden Writers Association in 2001 and The Gardens of Ellen Biddle Shipman was recipient of a 1998 book award from the American Horticultural Society. Her books have been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, and the Hubbard Educational Foundation. Judith's articles and book reviews have been published in Antiques, Apollo, Arnoldia, Country Life, Horticulture, Hortus, Landscape Architecture, Old-House Interiors, Old-House Journal, Pacific Horticulture, and other publications, and for ten years she served as editor of the Journal of the New England Garden History Society. She is currently publications editor of the Beatrix Farrand Photograph: Eric Roth Society. In addition, she has prepared cultural landscape histories for the Garden Conservancy, Historic New England, and other organizations. A popular lecturer in the United States and Britain, Judith is a frequent speaker at symposia and conferences devoted to the preservation of historic landscapes, pioneer landscape designers, the Arts and Crafts Movement, and other topics relating to her research. Judith gardens in the Boston area and on Martha's Vineyard, but her passion is visiting other people's gardens. She occasionally leads small groups to visit some of her favorite gardens in Britain. Read an interview with Judith conducted by The Cultural Landscape Foundation. C 2009 Judith B. Tankard. All rights reserved. I Privacy Policy I Contact Us http://www.judithtankard.com/ 6/18/2009 Judith B Tankard - Books Page 1 of 7 Judith B. Tankard Landscape Historian Home Books Articles & Reviews Lectures & Events About Info Links Contact Us Books Forthcoming Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes (The Monacelli Press/Random House, 2009). Long recognized as one of America's most celebrated landscape architects, Beatrix Farrand was renowned for her private estate gardens as well as her work as a landscape consultant for prestigious private universities and colleges. This book is a fresh presentation of her remarkable career and includes a number of landscapes that have recently been restored. A visually appealing book, it has over 200 illustrations by well-known photographers. Books will be available on September 29, 2009. Previously Released A Legacy in Bloom: Celebrating a Century of Gardens at the Cummer, photographs by Mick Hales (Cummer Museum, 2008). It tells the stories of the Cummer family and the gardens they cultivated in Jacksonville, Florida. The gardens represent a plumb line through the history of American landscape design, with direct ties to four leading designers and firms: Michigan-based Ossian Simonds, Philadelphia's Thomas Meehan & Sons, Ellen Biddle Shipman of New York, and the renowned Olmsted firm of Massachusetts. Read the press release. To order, telephone 904-356-6857 or email studor@cummer.org. Gardens of the Arts and Crafts Movement: Reality and Imagination (Abrams, 2004). Gardens of the Arts and Crafts Movement documents the history of the movement's diverse attitudes toward landscape architecture for the http://www.judithtankard.com/books.html 6/18/2009 Judith B Tankard - Books Page 2 of 7 Garden o the and Crafts Movement first time. The author brings a fresh perspective and a wealth of original research to her subject, one of the most creative periods in the history of modern design. Richly illustrated with period watercolors and drawings, as well as new photographs and garden plans made especially for this publication, this book promises to be an important resource for art and design historians, and a delight to all lovers of gardens. What the critics say: Tankard writes SO well, and the illustrations are SO well chosen, than one is soon swept up and away into an idealized world of the early Arts and Crafts designers [it] is the best-illustrated study so far. Apollo Between generous quantities of photographs and period drawings illustrating scores of examples, the author weaves in the experience of the Arts-and-Crafts aesthetic with examples of wallpaper designs, textiles, and evocative watercolours that faithfully convey the period's horticultural obsessions. Country Life The book will engage all those interested in the making of beautiful gardens, but especially those with a particular enthusiasm for the Arts and Crafts Movement. The Garden Judith B. Tankard has written the most comprehensive study to date of Arts and Crafts gardens. Style 1900 It is such a valuable addition to garden design literature. Her selection of period watercolors and drawings, plans and new photography lays a solid foundation for an enlightening look at the house and garden championed by Arts and Crafts notables such as Sir Edwin Lutyens. Veranda Gardens of the Arts and Crafts Movement gives a vivid account of the range of Arts and Crafts gardens, [but] what the book does best is [to] present the gardens in the context of art, architecture and furniture. Garden Design This important book is impressive and fascinating. House & Garden This is a superb read and an extremely well-designed and illustrated book. The Telegraph Tankard's text is a model of scholarship, insight, and efficiency. The insightful text, well-chosen images, and the book's overall design will engage and inspire. Landscape Architecture This book will be attractive to all garden lovers. Its scholarly depth, extensive notes and bibliography ensure it will be an essential text for all who study this period of design. Garden History Co-author with Alma Gilbert, A Place of Beauty: The Artists and A PLACE OF BEAUTY Gardens of the Cornish Colony (Ten Speed Press, 2000). At the beginning of the twentieth century, the artists' colony in Cornish, New Hampshire, was considered one of the most beautifully landscaped villages in America. The lush, rolling hills and fairy-tale http://www.judithtankard.com/books.html 6/18/2009 Judith B Tankard - Books Page 3 of 7 scenery drew some of the nation's most gifted artists, including sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, illustrator Maxfield Parrish, and architect Charles Platt. These artists, inspired by the colony's pastoral beauty, quickly became renowned as much for the idyllic gardens created as for their works of art. A Place of Beauty was a winner of a Quill and Trowel Award from the Garden Writers of America. What the critics say: For a view into the history of early 20th -century American gardens, this lively and detailed description of an influential segment makes enjoyable and informative reading. Gardens Illustrated Judith Tankard examines in detail a dozen Cornish gardens, some modest, some grand, but each perfectly suited to the larger landscape. Her pithy discussions are bolstered by a wealth of illustrative material, historical photographs, and many reproductions of paintings, etchings, and planting plans. Hortus This book chronicles the gardens, gardeners, and art of this golden place and period. American Gardener This is a book filled with ideas from another century that are still workable today, because of the talent of the garden makers. Charleston [West Virginia] Gazette The numerous photos and reproduction of paintings that fill the book show a world filled with an astonishing beauty rarely seen in our modern world. Amazon.com Gertrude Co-author with Martin Wood, Gertrude Jekyll at Munstead Wood: JEKYLL Writing, Horticulture, Photography, Homebuilding. Foreword by Graham Stuart Thomas (Sutton/Sagapress, 1996). This book presents insight into the life of the great English gardener Gertrude Jekyll and her home at Munstead Wood. As well as describing the building and development of the house and garden, the authors look at the arts she practiced while at the house. Her daily routine, the running of the household, and her relationships with household and garden staff is gained through the eyes of those who worked under her direction. Jekyll's important work as a nurserywoman and market gardener, her aptitude for business, and the promotion of gardening through her writing is also described. What the critics say: It is a pleasure to take in one's hands Gertrude Jekyll at Munstead Wood, a book that is beautifully produced, appealingly laid out, copiously illustrated, and elegantly written. Journal of the New England Garden History Society A detailed look at the previously unexplored artistic life and business acumen of one of the most influential garden designers of this century. A must for understanding the woman, her work, and her time. American Gardener The authors' enthusiasm for their subject is evident, and the book is invaluable not only as a study of a http://www.judithtankard.com/books.html 6/18/2009 Judith B Tankard - Books Page 4 of 7 remarkable individual, but also as a description of a contemporary way of life. Country Life The authors have drawn together a range of sources to describe the many interests and activities which filled Miss Jekyll's life at Munstead Wood. the text is Jekyllian in tone, often paraphrasing her writings to give a well-rounded picture. The Garden Well illustrated, highly detailed, and meticulously researched, this book is likely to prove indispensible to Jekyll fans. The Countryman This book is a very readable, interesting account of a fascinating woman who undoubtedly altered the way the Western world gardens. Traditional Gardening Gertrude Jekyll at Munstead Wood is a book for any admirer of this legendary figure [and] provides intriguing insight into her life. Gardens Illustrated GARDENS The Gardens of Ellen Biddle Shipman. Introduction by Leslie Rose ELLEN BIDDLE. SHIPMAN Close. (Sagapress/Abrams/Library of American Landscape History, 1996). The Gardens of Ellen Biddle Shipman tells the story of a remarkable woman who contributed much to the development of landscape design in America. Hailed as the "dean of American women landscape architects," Ellen Shipman designed over 600 gardens between 1914 and 1946. Her clients included the Fords, Astors, du Ponts, and other captains of industry and patrons of the arts. The book describes Shipman's remarkable life, her years in the artists' colony in Cornish, New Hampshire, and her long association with architect Charles Platt. The book explains Shipman's artistic approach to the design and planting of a garden, which was completely American in spirit and impact. The Gardens of Ellen Biddle Shipman was a recipient of the American Horticultural Society's 1998 book award. What the critics say: This book describes how a woman rose to the top in the male-dominated profession of landscape architecture. American Gardener The text is fascinating, historic, and poignant. New York Times Tankard provides thorough and illuminating descriptions of Shipman's gardens it is a handsome book, valuable not only to historians and garden designers, but also to every garden maker. Pacific Horticulture Tankard's text is concise and engaging. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians Co-author with Michael Van Valkenburgh, Gertrude Jekyll: A Vision of Garden and Wood. Foreword by Jane Brown (Abrams/Sagapress, 1988). A series of extraordinary photographs taken by the great English landscape designer Gertrude Jekyll presents a unique look at her own http://www.judithtankard.com/books.html 6/18/2009 Judith B Tankard - Books Page 5 of 7 GERTRUDE JEKYLI garden at Munstead Wood. In these beautiful pictures, reproduced for Vision of Ganlai and Wood the first time in newly made prints from her private albums, Jekyll's masterpiece is revealed as she saw it. The text provides an enlightening discussion of her design ideas, which have never been fully explored before. The book is published in conjunction with a major exhibition of Gertrude Jekyll's photographs that traveled to galleries and museums in the United States and Britain. The book was selected by Publisher's Weekly as an Editor's Choice for 1989. What the critics say: An intimate portrait of [Jekyll] in her surroundings [shown in] a collection of eighty-four of her own photographs. Times Literary Supplement This book is a gem of production. World of Interiors The photographs are beautifully produced and the book handsome and well-researched. Garden History Society [An] elegant and appealing volume. The New Yorker With its glistening gray dust jacket punctuated by stunning black-and-white photographs, this volume is a winner on looks alone. Colonial Homes [The book] is a treat a lovely compilation from the 2,100 photographs of [Jekyll's] own garden. New York Times Other Publications "William Robinson and the Art of the Book," in Hortus Revisited: A HORTUS Twenty-first Birthday Anthology, ed. David Wheeler (Frances Lincoln, Revisited 2008). An anthology of original articles from Hortus, the renowned quarterly publication founded by David Wheeler in 1987 and illustrated by Simon Dorrell and other artists. "For the past two decades Hortus has been a voice of wide-ranging intelligent cultural debate on all matters to do with gardens and gardening." Monty Don "Ellen Biddle Shipman's Colonial Revival Garden Style," in Re- Creating the American Past: Essays on the Colonial Revival, ed. Richard Guy Wilson, Shaun Eyring, Kenny Marotta (University of Virginia Press, 2006). This comprehensive and handsome volume recovers the origins, characteristics, diversity, and significance of the Colonial Revival, situating it within the broader history of American design, culture, and society. http://www.judithtankard.com/books.html 6/18/2009 Judith B Tankard - Books Page 6 of 7 Re-resting the American Past "Gardening with Louise," in My Mother's Garden: A Collection about My + Love, Flowers, and Family. Introduction by Penelope Hobhouse MOTHER'S (Chamberlain/Penguin, 2005). GARDEN Countries Assign Lane Havian "My mother was a pistol. Everyone who knew Louise considered Fashion her a character. She always spoke her mind, especially in later years when her tongue rolled forth with a flow of admonishments about people not doing things 'right.'" Other contributors include Barbara Kingsolver, Dominique Browning, Diane Ackermann, and Jamaica Kincaid. ENGLISH PLEASURE "Introduction," English Pleasure Gardens by Rose Standish Nichols GARDENS (David R. Godine, 2003). When English Pleasure Gardens was first published a century ago, it was instantly acclaimed as a resource for gardeners, tourists, and history lovers alike. This new edition will introduce a new generation to the pageantry of Britain's garden heritage and to the redoubtable Rose Standish Nichols, who hailed from Boston's Beacon Hill, was among our earliest professional garden designers, and was nationally recognized for RUSE STANDISH NICHOLS her expertise with native plants and residential garden design. Nichols brings to her subject a deep knowledge of garden history and an incisive critical eye that still resonates today. Visit the Nichols House Museum on Mount Vernon Street in Boston. Contributor, Encyclopedia of Gardens: History and Design, ed. Candice Shoemaker (Routledge/Chicago Botanic Garden, 2001). This three-volume resource provides information on garden history and design in the United States and around the world, ranging from Joseph Addison to Zen gardens. It is illustrated with hundreds of photographs, plans, and drawings. http://www.judithtankard.com/books.html 6/18/2009 Judith B Tankard - Books Page 7 of 7 SAKEER GARDENS History Design Pioneers of American Contributor, Pioneers of American Landscape Design, ed. Charles Landscape Design Birnbaum and Robin Karson (McGraw-Hill, 2000). In this book, the reader is introduced to the geniuses and more ordinary people who helped shape American landscapes and public spaces, thereby establishing the United States as a leader in landscape design, planning, and conservation. Many renowned landscape historians and educators helped compile biographies of 160 key people. A second volume is planned for publication in 2010. If you would like an autographed copy of any of these books, contact me at books@judithtankard.com C 2009 Judith B. Tankard. All rights reserved. I Privacy Policy I Contact Us http://www.judithtankard.com/books.html 6/18/2009 P October 1.2 Tried To get a Kodale of group mg of should in pont of Oldfathy Two wd email round lilac bushes in either side OF The pont door, an or for r/lee standing back in a corner made by The L, backed by Tar or Three large white spruces. a lary e lilac by The Kilchen Turn, & a ky jap on The right of The approach Two magnotias out of Ray but a good Pinis mughs very effective the epinees at The entrance To the garden are very effective & have grown well. O.callsa was my stocking in spring & early summer with its red young shoots. Q.Dauglasi does not seem as yet To be a ple book(Q. tomentora I. Ian Houtlee very great m provement on The common etce- graceful with an adicinture like leaf, Q Cra- I Tegifolia looked a bit mothealen, while robasTa was carrying out its name well mon door- yard kind about here, I. Then foria was Thrifty & seems To be The can- bengii(?) had grown enomously & was very preling its feathery plumage. I. callosa & 0. Thun very is are of a yellower green than The other Kinds men Tuned In The Oct 12,1893 Design Archives, new of camb, Berkeley Courtesy Tankard of Judith Beatrive gmes "Book of Gardening, 1893-1895" Environmental 2 7 garden! itself I learned that the Eulatia gra cillissima had untered perfectly without the slig httso covering. The perennial Helian thus had gone, it has been extremely handsome te size of a large black - eyed leason what about seven feet high a mass of bloom of about var. : The holly hocks, & before them, the larkeper have been very good a.- gainsh a socid baull ground of arbor or lac hedge. Aralia epinosa is very us beful during the summer, perfectly hardy, blooms in large umbels at the tap of the Throu at a height of 10-15 feet, & in The aulumn the foriage Lig remum eblenders is in full flower The Turns a deep proven & the leaves fall early. allum (prace of very handsome & The latest stacks about four ft. in height, also L. epecican aurutums in feel bloom in The rhododen drom bed. Locide a semperviews, grown from seed stared last winter is now magnificient aiths planting from ff To 15 ms, apart is crowding too much. aster house Ang line is also in fill glory 9 seems To improve vastly under cane. The exposure is edouth weah & very warm. auter cricoides is very lovely Too being very full flow 3. Gred seights I compervisens 2 T-4 ft a. Govae Anglial, 18 ins to 31/2 fit a encor di 78ths To S ft a beautiful aster grous about 21/2 ft high at its best, has pacesh mauve rays & reddy disk flowers, heads very fell, sinable var (?) & flower about 1/2 or 2 ins aeros very de- Ipiraea has last-au its leaves is most una ghtt The lea BuckThan botanical name not known(?) Ralice folia is a good shree and The foliage is still bright & pretty, ih has a Tree like habit, The leaves are a gray green beneast & the Twig. I are 9 The Deulzia Pride of RochesTer seemed to be doing very well, & cambine with The finer leaved weigelia sain to be effective The colum times are new unsightly as They leave a Teft of orean leaves after the Hower stalls ur pang even primulal has been very Irrhind in in The gar- den this seem met, having a five jingered leaf & Throwing its bunch of viltenfly like bink flowers (a idea like honey Quulle I about four ft high The loarlet trumper honeysuckde ones The borch has small T3. 4 9 which bunches of scarlet benes all over ih, A make ih as effective as in the blooming leason. am much disappointed in Vibronium opcelers The bernes hardly make up for The leafness clalks & gen was a very hands me Vi becomum in the Oldfam erally The worse for wear look of the leaves There garden however, a compant shrub about founds in height with lead blue berries, glosey foriage which was much in dented in wavy lines, that V. dentalum ? Canus languenca has first been is not sharply Derrated. Could ih have been plan Ted out This year, & is growin 9 well, the question is whether it will be hardy ? lymphonicarpus vulgans is now very pretty, October 15. notived The coloring of The leaves a Gracefey habit in a Chaub 2 ft his, more beauti feel Than before This season be- fire we left day before yesterday went To. Oldfarm where There was u perfect compos action. The prominent objects in The in me diate foreground were a paper birch and a while spruce. The birch had Tearned a deep gold, & against The white spruce was a beautiful piece of coloring The Trees along The Oldfarm water font are quite 16 Spinasa apaciforia cratary jour S.robinta S.Van Houthei, S. Doughai, S. callosa S. Thundergii tall so that one cannot see Their coach line, This seems To give The effect of quite a were on Top, of a cliff, & so gives the hill on big drop, That is, it Looks as Though The Trees. which the house attands more height The me ddle ais Tance is the blue water with on Porcuspine, with its black cliffs, This is carried the left- / Pointe d 'Acadie & on The right Poura 5 on To the Three next Porcupines & on The hargan lie the goulds boro hills. The view is not seen all at once, & The line of the foreground distance. Looked at The B. V.I nurery are as invegular as Those of of the hills in The The chrous look well with the excep Tion of Rhus cotenus, which although a handsome small shrub 2-3 ft bean the marks of severe winterKilling. Ordered 3 by ringas, no var. marked, ired, 2 white weigelian / Rhes cotinus 2 Lonicera fragran traing 2 Deutzia, 3 epinea callbsa. in all 14 35 Things to be planted in beas, Brade This face, according To ag seen ent with B.F. tar Taric a, 2 Lonicera pagrantisime Higgins. go / coust of porchatonics 2 Lonicha a grandifing Bed ru2 - 3 roza rugosa alba, 5 Rosa ruga sa rulsa, 5 Roza multiflora, 3 Roza rubic ino sa, & the three large freshes from old bed Bed no 3. 50 Lilium datented inches apart Bed no 4- 2 Apiraia acrbi- focia Bed no 5 - 3 Berberis vulgans, 2 Berberis canadensis, 4 Berberis Thember gil- Bed no 6_ - 2 spirata Then bengii, 6 nlyonga parica / we gelia candida Rices cotinues, 2 Deutzias as, / real, / white Bed'no 7. 3 epiraia callosa, 3 Ryringa, this last, has got TEn thoug out. In the weigelia. - much Tc be much of a my in Train the nept day noticed a good ar- top of the hid was quite bare, but around rangement of grees on a hillside The from one came a Dort of garland side of Trees, beginning will- white fine, & caming down To the deciduous Trees with me Two specimen hamlocks on The owen's edge. The Populus grandindentala was a pear yellow, & looked as if laden with hill near the station in Bangon, were Druit. Two American elms on Top of a magnificent in the urna, Their branches whin lung, & the leaves all gone. But The farther count one gets, The more one misses the Tongues of dark green of the evergreens cidevous. weds 12 The Huckle verry that was which set off the Mazing color of the de- so magnificant in ito paiches of go Agency red & dark manoon ? The Tracery of The birches, especially B pop -our Presentation March 2002 Chicago Bolarical garden. glencer, IL. www talf org cont-papers htm Women Take the Lead in Landscape Art : [B.7arrand] Judith B. Tankard This paper is based on a presentation given at the Cultural Landscape Preservation Symposium, Chicago Botanic Garden, on March 15, 2002. It concerns a few of the remarkable women who helped shape the American landscape in the early years of the profession by working largely in the arena of residential garden design. The names Ellen Biddle Shipman, Marian Cruger Coffin, Beatrix Jones Farrand, and Martha Brookes Hutcheson will be familiar to preservationists and landscape historians, but there are scores of other women whose careers remain elusive due to lack of extant gardens, archives, or writings by and about them. The title, "Women Take the Lead in Landscape Art," is taken from a 1938 feature in The New York Times that profiled female trailblazers in the field of landscape architecture. Headlines, such as "Field is Dominated by a Group of Brilliant Designers of Horticultural Vistas," "Countrysides Made Over," and "Saga of Feminine Achievement Tells of Miracles on Estates, Parks, and Fair Grounds," attest to the newsworthiness of the topic. In addition to highlighting the achievements of these women, the feature also revealed their struggles for identity, including some of the obstacles they had encountered: the social stigma of entering a profession and the practicalities of obtaining training, landing clients, and managing a viable practice Ellen Shipman summed up the situation for the Times in her statement, "before women took hold of the profession, landscape architects were doing cemetery work until women took up landscaping (she said), gardening in this country was at its lowest ebb. The renaissance of the art was due largely to the fact that women, instead of working over their boards, used plants as if they were painting pictures. Today women are at the top of the profession." 1 Gaining recognition for their work, however, was slow to come. It is important to remember that Shipman and other "trailblazers" began their professional lives in an era when women were stereotyped as guardians of the home, and gardening was tacked onto the cult of domesticity. Louise Shelton's Beautiful Gardens in America (1915), for example, included designs by numerous women, but failed to identify the names of the designers, both male and female. In general, magazine articles and books of the 1910s and 1920s clearly show that sophisticated planting design not only had its place in landscape architecture, but was almost entirely a woman's domain. The Boston architect Guy Lowell once commented that "a woman will fuss with a garden in a way that no man will ever have the patience to do. If necessary she will sit on a campstool and see every individual plant into the ground." The early 1900s had seen an explosion of interest in home gardening through the publication of popular books, such as Helena Rutherfurd Ely's A Woman's Hardy Garden (1904) and Mabel Osgood Wright's The Garden You and I (1906), that were aimed specifically at women to inspire them to channel their excess creativity into gardening. Social historian Alice Morse Earle, author of Sundials and Old Roses, Old-Time Gardens Newly Set Forth (1901), and numerous other books on antiquarian themes, codified what we now call the Colonial Revival Garden. These gardens, identified by their geometric, four square layout and flower borders filled with "old-fashioned" plants, provided the stylistic underpinings for Shipman and other designers. In 1893, Mariana Griswold Van Rensselaer's Art Out-of-Doors: Hints on Good Taste in Gardening brought aristocratic recognition to gardening arts in this country. A highly respected art and architectural critic, Van Rensselaer defined the landscape gardener as "a gardener, an engineer, and an artist, who like an architect considers beauty and utility together." Charles 2 Eliot's lukewarm review of her book questioned the perceived limitations of her viewpoint. He wrote, "Ever since man became man he has been remodelling the face of the earth, but it is to be regretted that no general account of either the breadth or the depth of the subject is to be found in this book good 'out-of-doors' must be founded in rationality, purpose, fitness. the essentially virile and practical nature of the art and profession is ignored." Virility versus femininity in landscape design would dominate the formative years of the profession. One of the main issues that women had to deal with was one of Attitude. As landscape architect and historian, Diane Kostial McGuire, has written, Beatrix Jones Farrand (1872- 1959) "was spoken of disparagingly at an ASLA meeting by one of her male colleagues as a woman who had 'a bedroom practice' where she turned out a little work occasionally between cards and tea." In 1894, Frederick Law Olmsted, in his oft-quoted quip, dismissed Farrand (then Miss Jones) as a someone "inclined to dabble in landscape architecture." Today Farrand has acheived near legendary status as America's premier female landscape architect. By setting high professional standards, ranging from the running of her office to the saving of her plans and drawings SO that enlightened preservation and maintenance of her work might be accomplished, Farrand paved the way for other women to follow in her footsteps. Farrand worked for some of the most elite families of the day, including the Rockefellers in Maine and the Blisses at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., the two most visible examples of her work today. In addition, the publication of Farrand's Plant Book for Dumbarton Oaks has been an invaluable aid in preserving her work. Farrand, who came from a prominent family with many important artistic and social connections, including her aunt Edith Wharton, was able to prepare for her career through travel 3 abroad and private study with Charles Sprague Sargent, founder of the Arnold Arboretum, Boston, who advocated women taking up callings that brought them into the "healthy open air." But what options were available for like-minded women from less genteel families? Beginning in 1901, the Lowthorpe School of Landscape Architecture for Women in Groton, Massachusetts, offered practical training in gardening arts, while the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women in Ambler followed suit in 1910. A few years later the Cambridge School was founded. In the early 1900s "landscape gardening" was the preferred term used by women. Farrand, for example, referred to herself as a "landscape gardener" in the Reptonian sense, not a landscape architect. "A young woman would shrink affrighted from the thought of meddling with anything SO ambitious as landscape architecture conceives herself quite capable of mastering the art of landscape gardening," wrote one journalist in 1908. Even by 1916, when an article on the Lowthrope School appeared in House Beautiful, the idea of women taking up landscape gardening as a career was still not regarded seriously. "Perennial borders filled with flowers and girls" and other captions for the article expressed the attitudes of the day regarding working women. "The man in this feminine paradise does not seem to be suffering. the proper kind of feminism-he leans on his rake while the girls dig the trench" and "at these sloping tables are drawn and rendered to be technical those plans of gardens that look too good to come true" would not have appeared in an article about the Olmsted office. In the early 1900s a stigma about "working women" persisted. Occupations for a well- brought-up woman from a good, but not wealthy family, were restricted to nursing, writing, education, and similar, socially acceptable pursuits. Women from the higher social echelons were encouraged to channel their excess energy into charitable endeavors. Landscape architect 4 Annette Hoyt Flanders (1887-1946), for example, worked for many years before charging fees for her work. In 1900, when Martha Brookes Hutcheson (1871-1959) announced to her family that she wanted to take up landscape design and, worse still, wanted to attend the new program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, they pleaded with her to change her mind about attending a technical school, with its inherent social ostracism-they even offered to send her to Europe and give her a free hand in designing the family property. "I was fired with the desire. in spite of the fact that it was considered almost social suicide and distinctly matrimonial suicide for a woman to enter any profession," she said. She walked around the block three times before she could bring herself to climb "those awful steps" (as she called them) to MIT. Fortunately she did and was able to receive exceptional training in Beaux-Arts design and planning principles under the direction of Guy Lowell. But even Lowell did not wholehearatedly encourage women to take up the profession: "don't go into it unless you simply can't keep out," he advised. Within a year of attending MIT, Hutcheson landed a number of important commissions in the Boston area that confirm her prediliction for classically inspired layouts that resulted from her training in the MIT program. The Lowthorpe program, in contrast, concentrated on simple garden layouts, planting design, and maintenance. Hutcheson is also important because she detailed her work in her book, The Spirit of the Garden (1923), which was recently hailed as the "first account by a woman practitioner to combine a discussion of design with an extensive visual presentation of her own work." A number of Hutcheson's commissions, including Maudesleigh, the Frederick Moseley estate in Newburyport, Massachusetts (now Maudsley State Park), and Longfellow House Garden, in Cambridge, Massachusetts (now a National Park Service site) are 5 undergoing rehabilitation, thanks to an increased awareness of her work. Marian Cruger Coffin (1876-1957), another first-rate designer in the same league as Hutcheson, also attended MIT as a special student, graduating in the Class of 1904. She was one of only a handful of women to complete the program before it was discontinued a few years later. In speaking about the profession, she told an interviewer, "unless a woman has capital, or influence, or is able to get into a good office, she is very foolish to take up the profession as a means of support." After finishing their studies, women found that the male-dominated design firms would not hire them, another significant hurdle they encountered; presumably women disrupted the morale of male workers or were considered unable to prepare construction drawings or supervise field work. "It is hard to get a start," Coffin claimed, "as there is a prejudice in many offices against employing women. A woman has to solve many problems and learn the ropes entirely by herself, while a man has the advantage of long office training and experience." Coffin promptly opened up her own office, accepting commissions that can be traced to invaluable family connections, such as the duPont family at Winterthur, where her comprehensive scheme involved an exceptional degree of design responsibility, going well beyond the limitations of garden design. Despite a recent biography of Coffin, her work remains somewhat fragmentary, the exception being Gibraltar, the former Rodney Sharp estate, in Wilmington, Delaware, which has recently been restored. Unlike, Farrand, Hutcheson, and Coffin, all of whom pursued careers as young women, Ellen Biddle Shipman (1869-1950) came from another track. In 1910, when she was in her early forties and living in rural New Hampshire, Shipman took up a career to support herself and 6 her children. Her Main Line Philadelphia family reputedly was not thrilled with her decision to take up garden design as a career. Because she was homebound and unable to attend the Lowthorpe School, she trained informally with the country house architect Charles A. Platt. Shipman proved to be an extraordinarily gifted planting artist based on years of hand's-on experience in her country garden long before she turned professional around 1912. After learning the rudiments of design and construction from Platt, she began her legendary collaboration with him, designing lush plantings to harmonize with his classical architectural elements. She soon rose to the top of her profession, specializing in small residential properties that were featured in House Beautiful and other magazines. At the heart of her work was her sophisticated plantsmanship and her ability to create simple, yet intimate garden settings. By the early 1920s she was at the peak of her career, managing a New York office with as many as a dozen female employees. Not until the 1930s did she begin to receive larger, more comprehensive commissions, such as Longue Vue Gardens in New Orleans and the terrace gardens at Duke University in North Carolina. On the whole, Shipman's work has not fared well. Of her 600 commissions (400 more than Farrand, for example), only a handful are in any recognizable form today due to alterations or destruction. She has no equivalent of Farrand's Dumbarton Oaks or Coffin's Winterthur. The rehabilitation of Chatham Manor, Fredericksburg, Virginia (now a National Park Service site), a number of years ago, as well as the walled garden at Stan Hywet Hall, Akron, Ohio, represent the beginnings of awareness of Shipman's significance as a landscape architect. More recently, her gardens at the Cummer Museum of Art, Jacksonville, Florida, were rediscovered after lying dormant for decades and replanted. 7 Shipman remains somewhat of an anomoly. Unlike Farrand, Hutcheson, and Coffin, she was not affiliated with the ASLA, as most of her clientele came from the garden club circuit. She was, however, a staunch advocate for women in the profession through her extensive lecturing and her office, which served as a training ground for scores of young women, mostly recruits from the Lowthorpe School whom she guided them through the practicalities of preparing construction drawings, supervising field work, and running a business. One of her earliest recruits was Elizabeth Leonard Strang (1886-1948), who worked in Shipman's office after training at Cornell and later opened her own office specializing in residential garden design. Elizabeth Lord (1887-1976) and her partner, Edith Schryver (1901-1984), who worked in Shipman's office in the mid-1920s, were Lowthorpe graduates; in 1929 they opened up the first female landscape architectural office on the West Coast, in Salem, Oregon. The careers of countless other women are only now being resurrected from oblivion, but the absence of archives and office records remains the chief obstacle for researchers and writers. My research on Shipman, for example, was facilitated by archives at Cornell University, sympathetic archivists, family members who could provide essential personal information, and extant gardens. Nellie B. Allen (1869-1961), a graduate of the Lowthorpe program in 1919 who had a brief career based in suburban New York in the 1920s and 1930s, is a "typical" example of a landscape architect whose career is only beginning to emerge from obscurity. The lack of systematic archives and a paucity of personal information has significantly hampered an in-depth career profile. A brief note in a book on the English garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, stating that Allen had visited Munstead Wood, offered evidence of Jekyll's influence in America. The 8 subsequent discovery that Allen had designed a number of gardens, including a rock garden at Wave Hill in 1934, instigated a serious investigation of her career. Family members produced examples of her Lowthorpe school work, including watercolor renderings and a set of tracings of borders designed by Gertrude Jekyll. Like many of her female colleagues, Allen specialized in planting design, especially perennial flower borders, the result of her training at Lowthorpe. Allen's proclivity for Elizabethan-inspired knot gardens, clipped topiaries, and sophisticated flower borders resulted from her frequent travels to Britain and her meeting with Jekyll. Allen's clients include Frank E. Bliss, New Rochelle, New York; Clifford McCall, East Hampton, New York; Anne Morgan and Anne Vanderbilt, Mount Kisco, New York; and Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne, Millbrook, New York, among others. She also designed a parterre garden in collaboration with Constance Boardman for the 1939 New York World's Fair. Allen's career is not unlike those of dozens of women designers who never "made it big" due to family responsibilities, insufficient training, or lack of opportunities. Although better known than Allen, Rose Standish Nichols (1872-1960) remains an equally elusive figure, hampered by the lack of archives thought to have been discarded by family members shortly after her death. With the exception of vintage slides from the Archive of American Gardens, Smithsonian Institution, few photographs exist showing her gardens in their heyday. Her uncle, the American Renaissance sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a nieghbor of Shipman's in Cornish, New Hampshire, initially pointed Rose in the direction of garden design in the 1890s. One of America's earliest female garden designers, Nichols studied briefly at MIT in 1899 and tutored privately with architect Charles Platt. Like Allen, she specialized in the 9 design and planting of small residential gardens. Her first garden, for her family's summer home in Cornish, New Hampshire, was included in Guy Lowell's American Gardens (1902), perhaps the only garden designed by a woman to be included. Laid out in 1896, when Farrand was just beginning her career and fifteen years before Shipman embarked on hers, the garden showed the promise of a budding career. Recently restored, the garden is now part of the Cornish Colony Gallery and Museum. Nichols's style was formulated on the gardens of England and Italy as well as American Colonial Revival gardens. In all, she designed about 70, but few are extant and little is known about most of them. Most are concentrated in Lake Forest, Illinois, where she collaborated with architects David Adler and Howard Van Doren Shaw, both followers of Platt. In these projects, her design responsibilities were confined primarily to plantings only. In her other commissions, ranging from Santa Barbara and Tuscon, to Georgia and the New York-New England area, she sometimes had a greater hand in laying out the entire property. Nichols is better known as the author of three important books on historic gardens. An astute critic, with an excellent grounding in history based on extensive travels abroad, Nichols found a niche for herself as a garden historian, writing dozens of articles for House Beautiful in addition to her books. While Elizabeth Strang, Ruth Dean, Rose Greely, Louise Payson, and other contemporary garden writers focused on the practicalities of planning and maintenance, Nichols concentrated on historic gardens and trends in garden design, such as Futurist gardens in Germany and modern gardens in England. Nichols's first book, English Pleasure Gardens (1902), is one of the first comprehensive treatments of the subject, and her later volumes, Spanish and Portuguese Gardens (1924) and Italian Pleasure Gardens (1928), are both 10 considered standard works on the subject. These brief profiles offer a representative sampling of some of the female trailblazers who staked out their own turf in the early years of the profession. Some, like Nichols and Shipman, worked as collaborators with male architects and landscape architects, while others, notably Farrand and Coffin, set out to prove that they were quite capable of doing it all-each one proved that women, too, were leaders in the profession. Reading suggestions: Dorothy May Anderson, Women, Design, and the Cambridge School (West Lafayette, Ind., 1980) Diana Balmori, Diane Kostial McGuire, Eleanor M. McPeck, Beatrix Farrand's American Landscapes (New York: Sagapress, 1985) Virginia Lopez Begg, "Alice Morse Earle: Old Time Gardens in a Brave New Century," Journal of the New England Garden History Society, volume 8 (2000) Charles A. Birnbaum, editor, Pioneers of American Landscape Design (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000) Nancy Fleming, Money, Manure, and Maintenance: Marian Coffin Pioneer Landscape Architect, 1876-1957 (Weston, Mass.: Country Place Books, 1995) Martha Brookes Hutcheson, The Spirit of the Garden (1923), introduction by Rebecca Warren Davidson (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2001) Richard B. Kimball, "A Little Visit to Lowthorpe," House Beautiful, March 1916 Daniel Krall, "Elizabeth Leonard Strang," Journal of the New England Garden History Society, volume 11 (2003) 11 Valencia Libby, "Jane Haines' Vision: The Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women," Journal of the New England Garden History Society, volume 10 (2002) Diane Kostial McGuire, editor, Beatrix Farrand's Plant Book For Dumbarton Oaks (Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks, 1980) Rose Standish Nichols, English Pleasure Gardens (1902), introduction by Judith B. Tankard (Boston: David R. Godine, 2003) Anne Petersen, "Women Take the Lead in Landscape Art," New York Times, March 13, 1938 Judith B. Tankard, "Designing Their Turf: Pioneer Women Landscape Designers," Bard Studies in the Decorative Arts, volume 8 (Fall-Winter 2000-2001) Judith B. Tankard, The Gardens of Ellen Biddle Shipman (New York: Sagapress, 1996) Judith B. Tankard, A Place of Beauty: The Artists and Gardens of the Cornish Colony (Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2000) Judith B. Tankard, "Splendor Restored" (Shipman's Italian Garden at the Cummer Museum of Art), Horticulture, April 2003 Susan Tamulevich, Dumbarton Oaks: Garden Into Art (New York: Monacelli Press, 2001) Mrs. Schuyler Van Rensselaer, Art Out-of-Doors: Hints on Good Taste in Gardening (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1893) Cynthia Zaitzevsky, "A Career in Bud: Beatrix Jones Farrand's Education and Early Gardens," Journal of the New England Garden History Society, volume 6 (1998) 12 Magnolia Magnolia grandiflora Publication of the Southern Garden The Laurel Tree of Carolina Catesby's Natural History, 1743 History Society Vol. XXXIII No. 2 Fall 2020 Dumbarton Oaks Garden and Park: A Celebration Judith B. Tankard, Boston, Massachusetts Nearly 100 years after they were first conceived, the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks are regarded as an icon among landscape architects, historians, and garden visitors the world over. However, they are not as universally well known nor as fully appreciated as they should be. In 1985, landscape architect and scholar Diane Kostial McGuire recounted in Beatrix Farrand's American Landscapes that a disappointed visitor wanted to know "where are the flowers?" and "where is the color?" After all, the visitor complained, she had come all the way from California where gardens were all about display and vibrant color. "There are SO many things you could do here to make this a real garden," she concluded. 1 Part of the problem lies in the fact that Dumbarton Beatrix Farrand in her New York office, 1927. Oaks is not a typical American garden dependent on horticultural displays, well-worn paths, land that included a range of dilapidated farm buildings. signage, and teashops. Instead, it is an extraordinary On the positive side, there were numerous fine old trees, accomplishment conceived and executed in a remarkable but the steeply sloping ground itself presented a serious partnership between the client and the designer. Together challenge. The house, which was set on a hill, commanded they created a magical sequence of designed spaces or (continued on page 3) rooms, ranging from formal to informal, that progressed through the garden, while taking into consideration Inside this Issue texture and incidents of alternating light and shade. When Robert Woods Bliss and his wife, Mildred Pg. 8 Jane Welles Loudon: "First Professional Lady Barnes Bliss, first spied The Oaks in Georgetown, they Gardener" thought it had the possibilities of becoming their country Pg. 10 Book Review: André Michaux in North home in Washington as well as a future institution for America their scholarly interests and collections. After returning to the United States from Paris in 1920 during his long career Pg. 14 Website Offerings as a diplomat, Robert Woods Bliss invited the renowned Pg. 15 In Print: On Ballylee: The Enduring Legacy landscape gardener and family friend, Beatrix Farrand, of Our Father's Fields and The Architecture to view the property. It consisted of a south-facing house of Trees built in 1801 with a classical orangery set on 53 acres of Dumbarton Oaks Garden and Park (continued from page 1) fine views, but the land seriously dropped 100 feet down prepared life-size cardboard mock-ups for the clients' to the creek below. Despite these challenges, Beatrix approval. As for planting suggestions, Mildred Bliss herself Farrand created her undisputed masterpiece. According to was a knowledgeable horticulturist, so there was much Walter Muir Whitehead, "the gardens represent the skill of back and forth about specific selections. Although they Mrs. Farrand and Mrs. Bliss in constructing an enchanting sometimes had differing ideas, a mutual respect for one landscape out of magnificent trees that are on slopes SO another brought out the best in the two personalities. As varied and in places SO steep as to present a great challenge Farrand wrote, "What I shall try and do with The Oaks is in design." to simply be your gardening pair of hands, carrying out In June 1922, Beatrix Farrand prepared a detailed your ideas." Mildred envisioned a garden to be lived in, eight-page memo for Mildred Bliss outlining her balancing private family areas with grander spaces for the preliminary design and planting suggestions for the Blisses' extensive diplomatic entertaining. Mildred was a property, and by 1923 the layout was well advanced and connoisseur of fountains and other antique ornament that construction underway. At the time of the commission, needed to be incorporated into the scheme. As well, her Farrand was well established in her career dedicated to knowledge of classical gardens mandated the importance prestigious private commissions as well as important of architectural features, such as walls, steps, paths, campus consultations. She was also familiar with and small structures, all of which jibed with Farrand's Washington, having consulted on the National Cathedral sensibilities to garden design. in the early days of her career, and later, in 1913, she The brilliance of the garden conception lies in its had designed the East Garden at the White House. response to the topography, letting the land itself dictate Dumbarton Oaks, however, would prove to be her most the design, from formal terraces where the land was challenging and significant commission. As Mildred Bliss mainly flat to more naturalistic gardens where the grounds wrote, "the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks were perhaps one sloped steeply. The result was a blend of Italian terraces, of the most difficult problems presented to her, for she French ornamental features, English flower borders, and a found not only an existing and rather dominating house romantic woodland dell. It was unlike anything that had and an unusually wide variety of grades, but also the very been created in America before According to landscape definite personal preferences of the owners with their historian Georgina Masson, Farrand drew upon these special interest in design and texture."4 In 1960, Lanning disparate elements to create a garden scene "uniquely her Roper, the renowned American landscape architect who own." The placement of the individual terraces near the worked mostly in England, recounted that "the gardens house, including a large rose garden that served as the of Dumbarton Oaks are the product of the harmony of centerpiece, was dictated by the existing trees, such as these two dynamic minds. Through their very close co- copper beech, black oak, and American beech. Farrand operation the garden evolved, each conceiving, adapting had learned her lessons thoroughly from Prof. Charles and re-evaluating her own ideas in the light of experience Sprague Sargent, Gertrude Jekyll, and William Robinson, and the best considered opinion of the other." From the whose various influences can be strongly felt throughout start, Mildred Bliss had a vision of what she wanted to (continued on page 4) create, inspired in part by years of living abroad and her extensive travels, while Beatrix Farrand had "taste, the 'know how' and the courage of her convictions as well as her unflagging energy-all important characters for such a partnership." The resulting gardens are "brilliantly adapted to a difficult site and rich in decorative detail and planning.' To add to the challenge, the Blisses were away from Washington for the first 10 years, the active years of the creation of the gardens. In January 1923, Robert Bliss was appointed minister to Sweden, which necessitated living abroad for five years, and then in 1927, he was appointed Ambassador to Argentina for six years. During these years when the Blisses were mostly absent, Farrand and her team proposed ideas, prepared sketches, and for some of the more important architectural features, such as steps, small structures, and benches, her office Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss in the Rose Garden, 1936. Vol. XXXIII, No. 2 Magnolia Fall 2020 3 Dumbarton Oaks Garden and Park (continued from page 3) Dumbarton Oaks. In the end, Farrand's creation was for use as a public park a green garden rather than a traditional themed flower Dumbarton Oaks Park, as it is now called, consists garden such as those she had designed for Thomas of the woodlands bordering the creek below the formal Newbold at Bellefield in 1912 and Edward Harkness terrace gardens. They illustrate many of Farrand's ideas at Eolia in 1919, and, (in 1926, her penultimate flower that she had absorbed from Robinson. "The so-called garden, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden Part of the natural garden," she wrote, "is the most difficult to fit reasoning for her solution at Dumbarton Oaks was the in with its surroundings" due to no set line to act as a important fact that it was a two-season garden-spring backbone. Those once-enchanting gardens were a "highly and fall-with a green interlude in winter-and heavily designed composition of meadows, woods, and stream, dependent on majestic trees and ornamental shrubs. with waterfalls, bridges, and a reflecting pond anchoring By 1935, the landscape. 10 when the They were gardens were opened to the fully developed, public in the the Blisses mid-1940s, commissioned but due to Rudolph Ruzicka maintenance to prepare the issues, slid first plan showing downhill the finished for many layout. The decades.)U Unlike plan included Dumbarton depictions of 38 Oaks, the garden spaces, naturalistic with delightful garden quickly vignettes showing became each area or overgrown with feature. Although invasive species, the gardens were while crumbling a masterpiece, stonework Farrand's years at and storm Dumbarton Oaks water damage were not only were ongoing challenging but challenges. also exhausting. Fortunately, When she began Farrand's unique DUMBARTON OAKS in 1921, she was landscape has at the peak of her been rescued in career, juggling recent years by several residential Plan of the grounds by Rudolph Ruzicka, 1935. the Dumbarton commissions Oaks Park at once as well as challenging campus consultations, but Conservancy, whose mission is to revitalize and maintain by the early 1940s, she was looking forward to peaceful Farrand's only surviving naturalistic garden while meeting retirement years at Reef Point, in Maine. The Blisses, the challenges of sustainability in an urban environment. 11 who intended to turn over their entire estate to Harvard When Dumbarton Oaks entered this second phase, University after their deaths, decided to make the it quickly became apparent that long-term care of the transfer earlier due to the impending war. Their gift to ornamental gardens needed to be addressed. The gardens, Harvard in 1940 included the house and formal gardens which had never been easy to maintain in the Blisses' (approximately 16 acres) and an additional 10 acres were era due to the hilly terrain and the rigorous replacement transferred to the Danish government for their embassy of plants, among other issues, would quickly become a complex. They also donated 27 acres of the adjacent serious challenge if there were no guidelines. With this naturalistic woodland gardens to the National Park Service in mind, and at Harvard's invitation, Farrand prepared 4 Magnolia Fall 2020 Vol. XXXIII, No. 2 detailed maintenance instructions for the upper gardens, givers have dedicated the enterprise." By 1951, Farrand but not those in the adjacent naturalistic park that was found it increasingly difficult to continue in an advisory not part of Harvard. Farrand prepared the first draft role for a research institution rather than a private client, of the comprehensive plant book in 1944, but it lay so she bowed out as a gardens advisor, although she forgotten until it was rediscovered by Diane McGuire happily helped Mildred Bliss develop her garden library. and published in 1980 as Beatrix Farrand's Plant Book During the early years of the institutional phase, Bliss for Dumbarton Oaks. It stands as a unique document for had continued to develop the upper gardens, mostly in one of the greatest gardens in America, "the cornerstone collaboration with Ruth Havey, who began working in on which the plan for the preservation of the gardens at Farrand's office around 1929. Havey made an enormous Dumbarton Oaks is based."12 The book acknowledges contribution to the present appearance of the gardens, Farrand's understanding that without detailed guidance, working on a redesign and ornamentation of the maintenance standards would be lowered under North Vista and the Arbor Terrace as well as her most institutional ownership/In explicit detail, Farrand famous addition, the Pebble Garden in 1960. In 1956, recommended measures to be taken when plants needed Alden Hopkins redesigned the Ellipse after the original replacement, the various levels of maintenance required, boxwood hedge died, replacing it with a double row of and steps that were not advised. Seventy-five years later, pleached hornbeams. Harvard employed several landscape her advice still rings true. consultants, namely Robert Patterson, who had worked at It is hard to know what Farrand thought of the Reef Point and the Arnold Arboretum, and also Donald transfer of a complex private garden to institutional Smith, who had also worked at Reef Point and later ownership. In 1944, after the transfer was complete and became superintendent of the gardens and grounds at during her tenure as an advisor, she wrote: "The house Dumbarton Oaks until his retirement in 1992. and its surroundings are a single unit at Dumbarton When it opened to the public in the -1940s, Oaks. From the students' library, the trees, lawns, and Dumbarton Oaks became known around the world. terraces are the outdoor expressions of the continuing Henry Francis duPont, who also had a world-class garden and living studies to which the farsightedness of the (continued on page 6) Rose Garden from upper terrace, 2008. Lovers' Lane Pool, 2008. Mélissande's Allée, 2008. Fountain Terrace, 2008. Vol. XXXIII, No. 2 Magnolia Fall 2020 5 Dumbarton Oaks Garden and Park (continued from page 5) at Winterthur, wrote to Mildred Bliss in 1949 to say vision of the owners."15 After Beatrix Farrand died in he admired the gardens, its upkeep, and above all its 1959, the Blisses erected a memorial tablet in the Green collection of benches. Today Dumbarton Oaks remains Terrace: one of America's outstanding gardens and a tribute to May kindly stars guard the dreams born beneath the Beatrix Farrand's immense capabilities as a designer. spreading branches of Dumbarton Oaks. Dedicated In 1980, Farrand's contribution to the profession of to the friendship of Beatrix Farrand and to succeeding landscape architecture was celebrated in a Dumbarton generations of seekers after Truth. Oaks Colloquium, while emerging landscape architects, such as Michael Van Valkenburgh, benefitted from Many thanks to Gail Griffin, Director of Gardens and Dumbarton Oaks Fellowships which had been established Grounds, Dumbarton Oaks (retired); Lindsey Milstein, by the Blisses. Numerous landscape architects and garden President, Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy; and Anatole scholars were quick to recognize Farrand's extraordinary Tchikine, Curator of Rare Books, Garden and Landscape accomplishment at Dumbarton Oaks and her career and Studies, Dumbarton Oaks. gardens continue to be celebrated in books, articles, and documentaries. Judith B Tankard is a landscape historian and the author of Over the years Mildred Bliss and Beatrix Farrand had Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes (New enjoyed a close personal relationship, writing letters to one York: Monacelli Press, 2009) another as "MilRob" and "Trix." In 1950, for instance, Farrand sent the Blisses a sprig of white heather from Reef Endnotes Point in memory of their visits. Mildred Bliss provided 1 Diane Kostial McGuire, "Plants and Planting Design," Beatrix the final accolade when she wrote, "Dumbarton Oaks Farrand's American Landscapes: Her Gardens & Campuses (New has its own personality sculptured from Beatrix Farrand's York: Sagapress, 1985), 63. 2 Walter Muir Whitehead, Dumbarton Oaks: The History of knowledge and wisdom and from the daydreams and a Georgetown House and Garden, 1800-1966 (Cambridge: Urn Terrace. 2008. Pebble Garden designed by Ruth Havey, 2008. ARTO New SIDERA-FAVSTA-FERANT OMINA-ET VSOVE-BON TESTIMONIO AMICITIAL BEÁTRICIS l'ARRAND C-ILLORVM-IMMEMORES:OVEPOSTERO:AEVO VITAS VERITATI ERVENDAE IMPENDERINT HANG TABELLAM/POSVERVNU ROBERTV WOODS BLISSAXOROVE MILDRED Wisteria on chains in North Vista, 2008. Tribute panel in Green Garden, 2008. 6 Magnolia Fall 2020 Vol. XXXIII, No. 2 Harvard University Press, 1967), 63. University, 1968), 21. 3 Beatrix Farrand, "The Oaks. Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss, June 24- 9 Beatrix Jones, "The Garden as a Picture," Scribner's Magazine, 25, 1922," Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collections. July 1907, 8. 4 Mildred Bliss, "An Attempted Evocation of a Personality," 10 For more information on the Dumbarton Oaks Park Beatrix Jones Farrand: 1872-1959. An Appreciation of a Great Conservancy, visit https://dopark.org. Landscape Gardener (Washington, D.C.: privately printed, 11 Lindsey Milstein and Liza Gilbert, "Dumbarton Oaks Park: A Walk on the Wild Side," Oaks, Spring-Summer, 2020. 1960), 13. 12 Diane Kostial McGuire, ed., Beatrix Farrand's Plant Book 5 Lanning Roper, "Dumbarton Oaks: A Great American Garden," Beatrix Jones Farrand: 1872-1959. An Appreciation, for Dumbarton Oaks (Washington D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks/ Trustees for Harvard University, 1980), xi. 21. 6 Roper, "Dumbarton Oaks: A Great American Garden," 21, 19. 13 Beatrix Farrand, "Dumbarton Oaks: An Historical Setting for Beatrix Farrand, letter to Mildred Bliss, July 5, 1922, cited in the Making of History," Landscape Architecture Quarterly: 34/12 7 Susan Tamulevich, Dumbarton Oaks: Garden Into Art (New (July 1944), 135. 14 Beatrix Farrand, letter to Mildred Bliss, August 14, 1950. York: Monacelli Press, 2001), 43-44. 8 Georgina Masson, Dumbarton Oaks: A Guide to the Gardens Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collections. (Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks/Trustees for Harvard 15 Bliss, "An Attempted Evocation," 17. Lovers' Lane Entrance, Dumbarton Oaks Park, 1945. Clapper Bridge Falls, Dumbarton Oaks Park, 1946. Forsythia Steps, Dumbarton Oaks Park, 1945. Clapper Bridge Falls, Dumbarton Oaks Park, August 18, 2020. Magnolia Fall 2020 7 Vol. XXXIII, No. 2 2/16/2015 XFINITY Connect XFINITY Connect eppster2@comcast.net + Font Size - Re: Charles Eliot From Judith Tankard Mon, Feb 16, 2015 02:10 PM Subject Re: Charles Eliot To : Ronald Epp Dear Ron, It was great hearing from you, especially the good news about your book coming out next year. I don't know Anne Kozak personally, but assume she's a member of the BFS. Sounds like a lot of good projects are lined up for next year's celebration. I know Scott Koniecko (pres of BFS) is planning some sort of exhibition about the park, perhaps the roads, not sure. I'm no longer actively involved with the BFS, after 10 years as a board member and 2 years as V-P. I guess you know that Marti Harmon spends most of the winter in Washington DC these days. I think she works part-time as an archivist at one of the local preservation organizations. My husband and I are in the midst of "downsizing" in preparation for a move from this multi-story suburban house (with too many steps) to a condo in Boston (where, presumably, someone else shovels the snow). Haven't found the ideal place yet, but it must have indoor parking and enough room for most of the books. With that in mind, I have catalogued our book collection and we're weeding out dupes, paper reprints, and other categories. I still have my original art history tomes from graduate school! What to eventually do with everything is a topic of hot discussion. What did you do with your book collections when you moved to Penna. and what do you plan to do with your research files, etc.? I'm pleased that a UK publisher wanted to publish revised editions of two of my books. It's amazing how quickly they go out of print and how (generally) apathetic US publishers are. Can't interest the publisher of Farrand book to do a paper edition for students, etc. No other writing plans at the moment, except book reviews here and there. All best, Judith At 03:06 PM 2/14/2015, you wrote: Dear Judith, It has been an inexcusably long time since I last contacted you. Just this afternoon, I was pouring through my Charles Eliot files and extracted a copy of your 1987 thesis, which I should have consulted several weeks ago. In early December I received an invitation from the president of the Mount Desert Island Historical Society to give the keynote at their annual gathering in late January 2015. The topic was the key conservation events in late 19th-century America that led up to the formation of the Massachusetts Trustees and their Maine counterpart. This was not a theme that could be easily extracted from my biography of George B. Dorr so I had to scramble. It was good therapy over the holidays since it was coming up on the two year anniversary since I lost Elizabeth. The event went off well but on her birthday (1/28) I was still n Bar Harbor as the first blizzard raged. Since then I've been rethinking Charles Eliot's role on Mount Desert Island and pursuing additional resources, especially since I was asked to give a paper at the University of Hartford on Eliot's contribution in the creation of nearby Keney Park, where (as you know) he succumbed to spinal meningitis. Are you familiar with a College of the Atlantic faculty member named Anne Kozak? She covers the park for the island newspaper, the Mount Desert Islander. I've known her for a decade and while I was on MDI she wanted to inquire into what I knew about the Wild Gardens of Acadia and how I had integrated it into the Dorn biography. She is in the early stages of a manuscript on the WGA and I thought I'd mention this to you since she appeared to be quite familiar with Garland Farms. My biography (Creating Acadia National Park) will finally be published in April 2016 by the Friends of Acadia, as part of the island-wide celebrations of the centennial of the National Park Service and the establishment of Acadia. I've been highly pleased with the quality of Last Look Editorial in Stoneham, should you ever need another set of editorial eyes. But enough about me, how are you and yours faring? I see from your web page that you have a string of Spring lectures arranged and two Pimpernel reprints in the works. Congratulations! http://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/printmessage?id=272171&tz=America/New_York&xim= 1/2 Verizon Yahoo! Mail -eppster2@verizon.net Page 1 of 3 Verizon Yahoo! Mail Verizon Central Yahoo! Search: Web Search Welcome, eppster2@verizon Mail Home All-New Mail Tutorials Help YAHOO! verizon [Sign Out, Member Center MAIL Classic Mail Contacts Calendar Notepad Options Check Mail Compose Search Mail Search the Web Folders [Add Edit] Previous Next I Back to Messages Inbox (10) Delete Reply Forward Spam Move Draft This message is not flagged. [ Flag Message - Mark as Unread Printable View Sent Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:59:03 -0400 Bulk (2) [Empty] "judith" Add to Address Book Add Mobile Trash [Empty] From: Alert My Folders [Hide] Subject: Re: Fwd: Farrand archives DorrBio2008 (33) To: "ELIZABETH and RONALD EPP" Eliz messages (6) Dear Ron, Horseshoe Pond The photocopies are in the mail. If you have any trouble reading BF's Member Information script, let me know. I don't think there is anything else at UC Berekely archives related to Dorr, Oldfarm, or MD Nurseries, but I wasn't looking for that Ron Archives (31) information on my visit. If you ever find yourself in Berkeley, it might be worth scheduling a visit. There are dozens of boxes of stuff in addition to the flat job files: photos, letters, reports, etc. Contact Miranda Hambro at designarchives@berkeley.edu to see what they have listed in their internal catalog. Thank you so much for your comments on the BFS and the newsletter. Would you consider contributing a short piece on connection between BF and GD for the newsletter? I'm sure our members would like to know more. Let me know! I'd love to know the quirky claim that Dorr gave BF her first job. Please elucidate. I'm in the final throes of my book, done on rather short notice for the Monacelli Press/Random House. I could have used another several years just poking around for information. I've spent most of my time debunking old myths, but BF is quite silent about personal matters. I actually attended the conference at The Mount, but I no longer have a copy of the program. What did you speak about??? I hope the book on the conference is coming out soon. All best, Judith At 09:30 AM 8/28/2008, you wrote: Dear Judith, Thank you for the phone call. As you can see I did receive your email message on my return from the Hudson River Valley. While in Hyde Park, My wife and I visited the Beatrix Farrand Garden at Bellefield which was charming in its simplicity and floral layout. http://us.f842.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter?MsgId=5333_6357422_114527_2600_248. 8/28/2008 Verizon Yahoo! Mail - eppster2@verizon.net Page 2 of 3 As a member of the BFS I've much appreciated your writing on the newsletter. I would very much appreciate receiving a copy of the Beatrix Jones journal entry on Oldfarm which I first became aware of while re-reading Jane Brown's work prior to contacting Marti Harmon before she left for the West Coast. (See my address below) My research for the Dorr biography began in 2000 and as Patrick will confirm has become an obsession which recently resulted in an offer from Robin Karson at the Library of American Landscape History to publish the completed biography which will be distributed by the University of Massachusetts Press; we met one another when we gave papers at a 2006 garden conference at The Mount. Right now I'm completing the first overly long draft of the Dorr biography. I have documentation on the Dorr family relationship with B. Jones &, Beatrix and Max Farrand which I will gladly share, including documentation relative to Mr. Rockefeller. There is even Dorr's quirky claim that he gave Beatrix her first professional assignment, which I suppose that Patrick has shared with you. Two areas where there is little reliable and verifiable data concerns the actual landscaping and garden design at Oldfarm and the development of Dorr's horticultural business, the Mount Desert Nurseries where Farrand purchased plant stock. Have you run across any documentation on these matters that you could share? Again, thank you for the phone call. I appreciate your interest and hope to meet you prior to the publication of your book on Farrand. I'll be on MDI the week of September 8th, any chance you'll be there? With Best Wishes, Ron judith wrote: >Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:19:12-0400 >To: epster2@verizon.net >From: judith >Subject: Farrand archives > >Dear Ron, > Patrick Chasse gave me your email address and also Marti > Harmon told me about your book on George Dorr. I have a photocopy > of Beatrix's Garden Notebook from the 1890s with a brief > description of Oldfarm, which I'm happy to send you. Let me know if > you'd like me to send this to your Merrimack NH address. http://us.f842.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter?MsgId=5333_6357422_114527_2600_248..8/28/2008 Verizon Yahoo! Mail - eppster2@verizon.net Page 3 of 3 As far as > I know there are no other references to Dorr in the Farrand > archives at UC Berkeley. > I am involved with the Beatrix Farrand Society and am just > finishing up a book on Farrand for publication next year. > Sincerely, Judith Tankard > >Judith B Tankard >1452 Beacon Street >Waban MA 02468 >617-965-4167 Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. 47 Pond View Drive Merrimack, NH 03054 (603) 424-6149 eppster2@verizon.net Delete Reply Forward Spam Move.. Previous I Next Back to Messages Save Message Text I Full Headers Check Mail Compose Search Mail Search the Web Copyright © 1994-2008 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Guidelines NOTICE: We collect personal information on this site. To learn more about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy http://us.f842.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter?MsgId=5333_6357422_114527_2600_248.. 8/28/2008 Re: George B. Dorr on Mount Desert: Epp Draft 2 - Inbox - Verizon Yahoo! Mail Page 2 of 3 Mail Contacts Calendar Notepad What's New? Mobile Mail Options Search Mail Search the Web Check Mail Compose Mark as Unread Print 700. See your Credit Previous I Next I Back to Messages Score Free Delete Reply Forward Spam Move. Folders [Add Edit] Re: George B. Dorr on Mount Desert: Epp Draft 2 Tuesday, December 9, 2008 9:20 PM Inbox (4) From: "judith" Drafts (5) To: "ELIZABETH and RONALD EPP" Sent Spam [Empty] Dear Ron, Trash [Empty] Thanks so much for the correx. I've posted them all. I'm sorry about the misspellings, the result of typing too fast! I spent all of last week reviewing the publisher's edits on my book, some of which left me scratching my head, while others needed to be defused immediately. Do tell me more about the Herbert My Folders [Hide] W. Gleason archive. I'd love to know more. Judith DorrBiblio (5) At 05:13 PM 12/8/2008, you wrote: DorrBio2008 (34) Eliz messages (6) Dera Judith, Horseshoe Pond I've reviewed your edit of my draft and am pleased. However, I've found some glitches and made some changes-itemized below-- in the Member Informa attached revised draft. Ron Archives (31) 1. Dorr's middle name is "Bucknam," NOT "Buckman." 2. Oldfarm was completed and occupied in 1880, not 1884. 3. In Paragraph 2, I've added a couple of lines from the journal following your suggestion. Please check the spelling of these plant names Search Shortcuts since at times I've had trouble with her handwriting. My Photos 4. In paragraph 3, the correct name is "S. Weir Mitchell, " NOT "W." My Attachments 5. ", add "t" in "at the foot of Champlain Mountain." 6. - review my response to your question about the Bliss referral. 7. In paragraph 4, "Ten letters from Wharton to Dorr" is better since "Between" implies a two-way correspondence which is not what has ADVERTISEMENT survived. BIDS START AT $1 8. In paragraph 5, last sentence, the actual title of Dorr's work is Acadia National Park. The book currently in print attaches to Dorr's publication an edited second part pulled together by the trustees of his estate in 1948, four years after his death. They retitled that work The Story of Acadia National Park, a title with which Dorr would not have been comfortable. Retain Acadia Nationl Park to be historically accurate. 9. Finally, in paragraph 6 I've deleted "Dorr and Farrand" after the word "both" since it strikes me as redundant. So too I've dropped a couple of "George" references when "Dorr would suffice. bidz Hope you concur with these changes. Do send me a copy of what is sent off to the printer, please. Ron Ronald H. Epp Ph.D. 47 Pond View Drive Merrimack, NH 03054 (603) 424-6149 eppster2@verizon.net --- On Fri, 12/5/08, judith wrote: From: judith Subject: your article To: eppster2@verizon.net Date: Friday, December 5, 2008, 5:03 PM Ron, I've done a rough edit of your article. Please review and get back to me with any revises. Ignore the first couple of lines that are instructions to the printer. As you'll see, I shuffled things around a little to make a more chronological story. It's all very interesting and I didn't know about the Wharton bit. This article will tie in nicely with my Winter Reading article that includes reprints of 2 Wharton books and a review of new book on William Robinson, father of the Wild Garden and mentor of BF. Can you get back to me by early next week? Thanks. Judith http://us.mc842.mail.yahoo.com/mc/showMessage?fid=Inbox&sort=date&order=down& 12/10/2008 Patrick Chasse Scholarship Fund - Inbox - Verizon Yahoo! Mail Page 1 of 1 Verizon Yahoo Mail Venzon Central Yahoo Search: Web Search Welcome, eppster2@verizon... Mail Home All-New Mail Tutorials Help YAHOO! [Sign Out, Member Center verizon MAIL Classic GET A FREE GUEST MEMBERSHIP C Click for details BALLY TOTAL FREE TRIAL MEMBERSHIP Mail Contacts Calendar Notepad What's New? Mobile Mail Options Check Mail Compose Search Mail Search the Web Whois Searching Previous I Next I Back to Messages Mark as Unread Print 4 You? FIND OUT Delete Reply Forward Spam Move.. Folders (Add Edit] Patrick Chasse Scholarship Fund Wednesday, December 10, 2008 3:14 PM Inbox (2) From: "judith" Drafts (5) To: eppster2@verizon.net Sent Spam [Empty] Dear Ron, Trash [Empty] Thanks for the info on HWG. I'll get back to you next week on it. Meanwhile, I'm delighted you spotted the notice about the Patrick My Folders [Hide] Chasse Scholarship Fund. Please contact BFS President Jim Fuchs about DorrBiblio (5) contributing. His email is jcafuchs@mindspring.com or info@beatrixfarrand.org The Winter 09 issue of the BFS NEWS should be out in early January. DorrBio2008 (34) I'll send you a PDF so that you can forward it to your friends. Eliz messages (6) Thanks for the query about distribution of the newsletter on MDI. Horseshoe Pond Right now it's considered a benefit of membership, but I'm planning to put back issues on the web site (to be re-launched early next Member Informa year) It would be a good idea to have copies available at local Ron Archives (31) historical societies, etc. Let me bring it up for discussion at the next board meeting The editorial committee, by the way, is just me and Bob Golden, who handles membership services. This is the way of Search Shortcuts life for a small organization. I'm off to Martha's Vineyard for a long weekend and will be back in My Photos touch. Best, Judith My Attachments ADVERTISEMENT Look younger in 15 Minst The NEW SkinTensive Cell IT Click Mare Delete Reply Forward Spam Move.. Previous Next Back to Messages Select Message Encoding Full Headers dramal FREE Click Hore iQDerma.com *Click for Details Check Mail Compose Search Mail Search the Web Copyright © 2008 Yahoo! Inc All rights reserved Copyright/IP Policy Terms of Service Help NOTICE We collect personal information on this site To learn more about how we use your information see our Privacy Policy verizon YOHOO! http://us.mc842.mail.yahoo.com/mc/showMessage?fid=Inbox&sort=date&order=down&. 12/10/2008 Dorr pictures - Inbox - Verizon Yahoo! Mail Page 1 of 1 Web Search Verizon Yahoo Mail Venzon Central Yahoo Search: Mail Home All-New Mail Tutorials Help Welcome, eppster2@verizon. YAHOO! [Sign Out, Member Center ] verizon MAIL Classic the Thread on Shine Watch Now! RENDS What's New? Mobile Mail Options Mail Contacts Calendar Notepad Search Mail Search the Web Check Mail Compose Mark as Unread Print cure arthritis Previous Next I Back to Messages with raisin Delete Reply Forward Spam Move. Folders (Add Edit] Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:07 PM Dorr pictures Inbox (23) From: "judith" Drafts (7) To: eppster2@verizon.net Sent Spam (12) [Empty] Dear Ron, Trash [Empty] The pictures are great. My first choice would be Beechcroft--it seems to say it all. Do you have a rough date for the photo and/or My Folders [Hide] know the photographer? DorrBiblio (5) I have run across the name of Herbert W. Gleason. He took b/w pictures at Reef Point in the early 1920s and also some Shipman DorrBio2008 (33) gardens in Massachusetts around the same time. I don't know anything Eliz messages (6) about him, but am thrilled there's a archive What a find! I'd love to talk with you about him and learn about the gardens he photographed. Horseshoe Pond I hope your family business goes well and will look forward to your Member Informa article soon. Many thanks. Judith Ron Archives (31) Search Shortcuts Delete Reply Forward Spam Move... My Photos My Attachments Select Message Encoding Full Headers Previous Next Back to Messages ADVERTISEMENT BETTERTHAN BARE trial, 86FLapply rawbeauty com Trylit FREE* HERE Search Mail Search the Web Check Mail Compose Copyright @ 2008 Yahoo! Inc All rights reserved Copyright/IP Policy Terms of Service Help NOTICE We collect personal information on this site To learn more about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy verizon YAHOO! http://us.mc842.mail.yahoo.com/mc/showMessage;_ylt=AsXKFuzr_ETd4SrRGMqvC4u.. 12/20/2008 Page 1 of 1 Your book From To Date 06/26/2010 02:10:47 PM Dear Ron, Marti Harmon told me you were looking for a publisher for your book on George Dorr. I'm sorry it didn't work out with LALH, but it's probably for the better. When we meet fact-to-face I'll tell you about my experience with them on the Shipman book. You might want to contact my editor at Monacelli Press: Elizabeth White (her husband is Samuel White and they've collaborated on books about Stanford White, his great- grandfather). Elizabeth may be able to steer you in the right direction if Monacelli are not interested. They tend to do well-illustrated books about architecture, interiors, and some landscape (Farrand seems to be the exception). ewhite@randomhouse.com I'm away from my home office at the moment, but when I return at the end of next week I'll give you the name of the editor at WW Norton. I think they would be the right fit for your book and they specialize in monographs on architects, designers, etc. You may recall that they did Cynthia Zaitzevsky's book on Women Landscape Architects on Long Island. Another possibility is University of Virginia Press. They've done some books on environmental issues. The editor there is Boyd Zenner. More later. Best, Judith Judith B Tankard 1452 Beacon Street Waban MA 02468 617-965-4167 www.judithtankard.com https://webmail.myfairpoint.net/mail/message.php?index=4003 6/28/2010 Page 1 of 3 Re: Lunch with Ron Epp From "Judith Tankard" To Date 07/27/2010 05:46:00 PM Hi Ron, From the Mass Pike take exit to 95 South/Route 128. Then take exit for"Waban/West Newton/Route 16 East". It's just after the service center/rest stop on right. Follow ramp and turn right onto overpass (goes over Route 128). Go a short distance and at traffic light fork right onto Beacon Street (tiny sign). You'll go through a residential area, then a small village with shops on left. Go one long block to traffic light. We're the 6th house on the right beyond the traffic light. House is beige shingle with low lattice fence around it and garden in front. Park on street. Give a call if you get lost, but it's literally 10 minutes or less from the MassPike interchange. 1452 Beacon Street 617-965-4167 See you around 11:30 or so. We'll have lunch here (probably a salad) as it's cool and we don't have to go out (not many choices). Best, Judith At 05:25 PM 7/27/2010, you wrote: >Hi Judith, > > We just returned from a quick two-day trip to Burlington (VT) and >yes it is still convenient for me to come tomorrow. I'll be coming >into Newton on the Massachusetts Turnpike from the West. More specific directions would be appreciated. Regards, > Ron > > >Quoting Judith Tankard : >>Hi Ron, >>Is it still convenient for you to come on the 28th? My house is > >air-conditioned! Let me know what time you'll be here in the morning > >and I'll send you directions. Are you coming from Wellesley, Boston, >>or Route 95? Judith >> > Date: Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:42:09 -0400 >> >To: eppster2@myfairpoint.net >> >From: Judith Tankard >> >Subject: Re: Lunch with Ron Epp >> > >> >Dear Ron, >> >Wednesday July 28th would be perfect. I'll give you a tour of my >> >library, then we can have lunch. let me know when you need >> directions. Judith >> > >> >At 07:28 PM 7/5/2010, you wrote: >> Dear Judith, >> >> >> >>Wednesday, July 28th, is a good date for lunch in Newton. What time >> >would work best for you? 11:30? Later? >> >> >> >> Now that the holiday celebrations are over, I'll contact Elizabeth >> >White and the other leads that you so generously provided. Very >> >>much looking forward to meeting you! >>>> >> >> Most Cordially, >>>> >> >>Ronald Epp >> >> >> >>Quoting Judith Tankard : >> >>> Dear Ron, https://webmail.myfairpoint.net/mail/message.php?index=4397 7/27/2010 Page 2 of 3 >>>I'd love to get together for lunch with you one day. I'm available >> >>>July 27, 28, and 29, August 3, 4, and 5 if any of those dates work >> >>>for you.I live in the Waban section of Newton just off Exit 21A on >>128/95South (I'm just south of the MassPike interchange). I can send >>>>>more detailed instructions, but we're a stone's throw from Wellesley >>>>>Hills. Happy 4th. Judith >> P.S. Yes, please use my name with those publishers I >> recommended. >>>Also, please do contact Elizabeth White. I >> mentioned to her that you >> >might be contacting her and she said she's be glad to talk with >> you. >>>At 07:35 P 7/2/2010, you wrote: >>>>> ->>> Dear Judith, >>>>>> >> >>> >Yes, I have received both of your recent email messages. I am most >> >>> >appreciative of your suggested contacts at Monacelli, Norton, and >> >the University of Virginia. Might I use your name by way of >> introduction? >>>>>> >>>>> >Before I signed the contract with Robin, it was intent to submit the >>>>> >proposal to Harvard University Press, the University of >>>>> >Massachusetts Press, and University Presses of New England. With the >>>>> >exception of the UMASS Press--where the LALH connection is still >> >>> >strong--I will pursue these venues as well. I'm now beginning to >> >>> >familiarize myself with their submission requirements and will keep >> >>> >you abreast. >Unfortunately, I won't be back on MDI in early >>>>> August but hope to >>>>> >return before the summer is completely gone in order to do more >>>>> >archival work on the J.D. Rockefeller Jr. papers. It had been my >>>>> >intention to come down to Wellesley later in July and I wondered >>>>> >whether you might be available for lunch in Newton (after the 22nd) >>>>> >so we could meet and briefly share our LALH tales. If this is >>>>> >feasible, suggest a couple of dates that work for you and we'll see >>>>> >if we can find common ground (I'll defer to your familiarity with >>>>> >local eateries). Later in August is also feasible. >I was most >> .>>> surprised when I heard from you after talking to Marti. >She has >>>>> been so consistently supportive of my efforts. >I've attached a >>>>> copy of the recently revised Introduction to the .>>> Dorr ms. should you wish to get a sense of what I've attempted >>> to do. >Have a delightful 4th of July! >>>>>> >>>>> Most Appreciateively, >>>>>> >> >>> >Ron >>>>>> >>> >Quoting Judith Tankard : >>>>>>> Dear Ron, >>>>>>>I hope you received my earlier email regarding ideas for publishers? >>>>>>>I wrote it on another computer away from my office and promised I'd >> >>> >>get back to you with some specific names of >> >>> editors/publishers. First off, I'd try Nancy Green, senior >>>>> editor, at W. W. Norton. she >can be reached at ngreen@wwnorton.com or 212-790-4353 >> >Another suggestion is to try Boyd Zenner, acquisitions editor, >> >University Press of Virginia. She can be reached at bz2v@virqinia.edu >and her phone is 434-924-1373. UVA has done a number of "environmental" books such as Melanie Simo's books. Might take a look >> >>> >>at their website www.upressvirginia.edu >> >>> >>Another option is the University Press of New England, which you >>probably already know about. They recently published a book on the >>collected writings of Beatrix Farrand. I don't know an editor there, >> >but the website is www.upne.com >> If you are planning to attend my lecture at the BFS on August 7th I >> >>would be delighted to meet you at long last. Best, Judith >>>>>>> >Judith B Tankard 1452 Beacon Street https://webmail.myfairpoint.net/mail/message.php?index=4397 7/27/2010 Page 3 of 3 >>>>> >Waban MA 02468 >> >>> >617-965-4167 >www.judithtankard.com >>>>>> >> >>> > Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. 47 Pondview Drive >> >>> >Merrimack, NH 03054 >>>>> (603) 424-6149 >>>>> >eppster2@myfairpoint.net >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>> >> >> Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. 47 Pondview Drive >> >>Merrimack, NH 03054 >> >> (603) 424-6149 >> > >eppster2@myfairpoint.net >> >> >> > >Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. 47 Pondview Drive > Merrimack, NH 03054 > (603) 424-6149 >eppster2@myfairpoint.net > > https://webmail.myfairpoint.net/mail/message.php?index=4397 7/27/2010 Page 1 of 1 visit to Garland Farm From "Judith Tankard" To Date 08/31/2010 05:08:00 PM Attachments MartiMirokutoEpps6-24-10.JPG 58.23KB Forwarded message From: Judith Tankard Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:04:15 -0400 Subject: visit to Garland Farm To: eppster2@fairpoint.net Dear Ron, I don't know if you've seen this picture or not. Thanks for the update. I'm sorry to learn about Elizabeth's condition. I've been there with the biopsies and lumpectomies, but outcome was fine. Thanks for your encouraging words about CE. Keep in touch. Best, Judith You have been sent 1 picture. MartiMirokutoEpps6-24-10.JPG These pictures were sent with Picasa, from Google. Try it out here: http://picasa.google.com/ https://webmail.myfairpoint.net/mail/message.php?index=4900 8/31/2010 Page 1 of 2 3 The Epps & the Tankard & Dorr manuscriptd From To "Judith Tankard" Cc Date 08/31/2010 03:09:07 PM Dear Judith (and Marti too!) Thanks for sharing your thoughts Judith about LALH. Revisiting this period in your life cannot be pleasant. You should know that I finally sent off a brief letter to Robin informing her of my intent to actively pursue other publishing opportunities for what I consider to be a strong manuscript. I wanted to get beyond any lingering contractual issues as I approached other publishers. To date I am still preparing letters for several of the publishers you recommended. I've redrafted two chapters where Jane Roy Brown had muddle--quite out of character--several of the endnotes and the other chapter required extensive revision in light of the four dozen letters that the curators uncovered this Spring at Castle Howard. All of this has been overshadowed by our discovery this past June--following her annual mammagram-- that my wife has breast cancer. She has had two lumpectomies in July and August but precancerous cells remain; a "simple" prophylactic mastectomy will be performed this Friday. We have great confidence in the surgeon and the Elliot Health System in Manchester. I very much appreciate the invitation to the October 9th BFS library and collections committee meeting. If Elizabeth is sufficiently recovered we had hoped to travel to Pennsylvania that weekend for our 50th high school reunion. Finally, I have read Judith's extended essay on "Charles Eliot: the Education of a Landscape Architect," and was very impressed with the new insights I gained into his intellectual development. Even though this essay is more than two decades old, nothing comparable has been published. I see that it is listed in the Hollis catalog but I suspect that there are few other copies about. It should be in the Trustees of Reservations holdings and if you don't mind, I'd like to suggest to them that they secure a copy for their archives. While you may consider this to be an "immature" work, I'd like to suggest that you revisit it with an eye to publishing it in part or as a whole, revised or in its present state. My ongoing thought was how fortunate we all are that Charles Eliot left such a detailed account of his travels so that this reconstruction was possible; it is my everlasting regret that Mr. Dorr left us nothing remotely comparable for his four years traveling over the same turf. Our best to you and yours! Ron Epp Quoting Judith Tankard > Dear Ron, > Thanks for returning CE so promptly. I'm somewhat embarrassed that > you are reading this pre-career essay! > I hope you hear from Harvard UP soon about your book. In thinking > about your situation with LALH, it occurred to me that the real > reason your book was dropped was the lack of money. She may have had > too many balls in the air and your book didn't have the necessary https://webmail.myfairpoint.net/hwebmail/mail/message.php?index=1296 8/31/2010 Page 2 of 2 > funding to hand, so something had to go. She was certainly dragging > her feet about paying you according to your contract. Just a theory, > but having read your article for the BFSN etc. I think the lukewarm > comments by the reader were part of the scheme to justify the action. > It's all very odd. Let me know if I can write any letters of support > for you, and I hope you find the right publisher soon. > Re the BFS, we have a Library and Collections Committee event on > Saturday, October 9th. Perhaps you can plan another visit to Garland > Farm for the event? Check out details on > www.beatrixfarrandsociety.org Best, Judith > Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. 47 Pondview Drive Merrimack, NH 03054 (603) 424-6149 eppster2@myfairpoint.net https://webmail.myfairpoint.net/hwebmail/mail/message.php?index=1296 8/31/2010 Page 1 of 1 Re: From Ron Epp From "Judith Tankard" To Date 03/13/2011 11:18:11 AM Hi Ron, I'm glad to hear you've had a nibble from Cornell. It's an excellent university press, so hopefully that will work out after jumping through a few hoops. I like the title also, as Acadia will be more familiar to people than Dorr. Keep me posted. I think we were all stunned to learn of Eleanor's death. The last time I saw her was at the conference at The Mount. apparently she didn't tell anyone about her illness, but the fact that her husband died last year probably didn't help. There's a good obit on www.edithwharton.org Let's hope her papers went to The Mount or elsewhere. She was very helpful with me re sorting out some EW pictures that may/may not have shown Beatrix's mother. I was sorry she wasn't active with the BFS or asked to be a speaker. Judith At 11:39 AM 3/8/2011, you wrote: Hi Judith, I hope you and yours are faring well. Elizabeth and I are hopeful that we have at last seen the last hurrah of winter. Meanwhile the search for retirement communities continues. I was most surprised and saddened to read in The B.F. Newsletter of the death of Eleanor Dwight. I first met her at The Mount when we did back-to-back presentations. She invited me to her BH home where we talked of her father, his publications, and his photographs of the 1947 Dorr memorial dedication at the Sieur de Monts Springs. She generously gave them to me so that Josh Torrance (Director of Woodlawn Museum) could have copies made for the HCTPR archives. I supposed that she was a few years older than me but I was unaware of any health issues so the news of her death was unexpected--and the very brief obit in the NYTimes was disappointing. I didn't see an obit in The Islander. I hope she made provisions for her scholarly studies to find their way into an appropriate archive! I have had a nibble from Cornell University Press. They asked me whether I was willing to do a new table of contents that involved reframing the manuscript. To wit, abandon the traditional biographical model ("He was born He drew his last breath") and use transformational experiences in at least the opening chapters of the book. Relate the bulk of the early chapter content to vignettes placed elsewhere where appropriate. Integrate the related lives of Charles W. Eliot and Rockefeller, Jr. so that their evolving relationship becomes more prominent. And make the park itself a character more than a landscape on which the story of Acadia is written. After spending a week weighing the benefits and risks of such an undertaking, I decided to move ahead with his proposal. The editor has a Ph.D. in American philosophy which draws him to the Harvard Golden Age of Philosophy characters and his boss has a home on MDI and thinks the story of Mr. Dorr ought to be told, perhaps under a new title like "The Making of Acadia National Park." What do you think? With Best wishes, Ron Epp https://webmail.myfairpoint.net/mail/message.php?index=8282 3/13/2011 Page 1 of 1 Your book From "Judith Tankard" To Date 07/02/2010 10:42:40 AM Dear Ron, I hope you received my earlier email regarding ideas for publishers? I wrote it on another computer away from my office and promised I'd get back to you with some specific names of editors/publishers. First off, I'd try Nancy Green, senior editor, at W. W. Norton. she can be reached at ingreen@wwnorton.com or 212-790-4353 Another suggestion is to try Boyd Zenner, acquisitions editor, University Press of Virginia. She can be reached at bz2v@virqinia.edu and her phone is 434-924-1373. UVA has done a number of "environmental" books such as Melanie Simo's books. Might take a look at their website www.upressvirginia.edu Another option is the University Press of New England, which you probably already know about. They recently published a book on the collected writings of Beatrix Farrand. I don't know an editor there, but the website is www.upne.com If you are planning to attend my lecture at the BFS on August 7th I would be delighted to meet you at long last. Best, Judith Judith B Tankard 1452 Beacon Street Waban MA 02468 617-965-4167 www.judithtankard.com Page 1 of 2 Re: Happy New Year From "Judith Tankard" To Date 02/16/2011 04:18:03 PM Dear Ron, I am saddened to learn of the lukewarm reception to your book idea. Publishers have been rejecting proposals for years based on "the book has no market," "no one has ever heard of him," etc. I find it interesting that Nancy Green did not want it. Who ever heard of some of the architects in the Norton series before there were books on them? And what did University Press of New England say? They published a small book on Beatrix Farrand's garden notebook last year. Maybe it needs a jazzier title or re-focused to attract tourists who buy books on Acadia and MDI? Have you looked at www.shermans.com to see who the publishers are for their books on Acadia. Also there's Acadia Publishing, which does those small picture books, such as one on Southwest Harbor, etc., and also Downeast (but they tend to be glossier). Maybe self-publishing is the way to go, but it's expensive and you need a good layout person (plus editor!). Keep me posted. Judith At 02:17 PM 2/16/2011, you wrote: >Dear Judith, > >I have yet to find the "ideal retirement community" but Elizabeth >and I are increasingly aware of what do do not want. Our needs mimic >your own (see below). These communities also are far more expensive >in New England than in the Middle Atlantic States so our net has widened. >Thank you again for the use of your name in contacting publishers. >Unfortunately, none found favor with my proposal. Nancy Green (who >has a summer home in Frenchman Bay) kindly took the extra step and >put me in touch with the Moon Handbooks author, Kathleen Brandes, >who referred me to Tilbury House in Gardiner (which also didn't pan >out). However, Kathleen agreed to be a contact for publishers >who wanted an expert appraisal of the title. All the New England >academic presses have rejected it. I still have about ten proposals >pending. The common theme for passing is that publishers claim the >book has no market. Consequently, I'm now researching >self-publishing. I will keep you informed. What projects are you now pursuing? > > I've been asked to give a presentation on Mr. Dorr at the May > celebration of the centennial of the Jesup Memorial Library. We'll >stop by Garland Farm and see Marti. > All the Best, > > Ron Epp > > > Quoting Judith Tankard : > > Dear Ron, > > I hope the New Year brings you success with your book project. Let > > me know if there's anything else I can do. I was amused by your > > search for the ideal retirement facility. When you find it, let us > > know. Our needs are probably the same as yours: enough space for > > books and cooking equipment, good internet service, a politically > > hospitable state, lower taxes, easy access to airport, not too hot in > > summer or cold in winter nor too many bugs or allergies, and close > > access to a good wine shop (and medical facilities). We're stymied. > > All best, Judith > > Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. 47 Pondview Drive > Merrimack, NH 03054 https://webmail.myfairpoint.net/mail/message.php?index=7839 2/16/2011 Page 1 of 2 Re: visit to Garland Farm From "Judith Tankard" To Cc "judith" Date 10/14/2010 02:04:43PM Dear Ron, Sorry for the delay in responding. I don't generally check my gmail account because I only use it to send pictures when I can't do so on my main account. Best to email judith@tankard.net Glad to learn that Elizabeth is progressing, but watch out for that Amish diet! When I was a kid my parents dragged me along to visit friends in York PA. We'd always go to the markets and an annual firehouse supper with everything from 7 sweets & sours to chicken pot pie to shoe fly pie. And the quantities were enormous. Meanwhile, you are most welcome to take another look at the MPCRs or borrow them if you want. I'm not using them, but eventually I'd like them to go to someone who would appreciate them. Good luck with HUP. The hoops that you need to jump through for UPs is mind-boggling. I always like to keep proposals succinct. I'd think 8 to 10 pages would be max. They are not experts on the subject; they just need to know why it is important. They are probably more interested in your credentials than anything else, so your're safe there. The Mount lecture went well. About 150 people! but spent most of time fiddling with the projection equipment. They subtracted that from my 60 minutes and about 3/4 of the way through I got a tap on the shoulder. Did I tell you there's a woman who's writing a book for Yale UP on some newly found corres between EW and her governess, Anna Bahlmann, who later became her secretary. The Library event went very well. We had an excellent display of books etc in about 8 different categories (Travel, Mentors, Horticulture, Family, Maine, etc.) A good, keen audience. Sorry the season's over at Garland Farm. Stay in touch. Best, Judith On 10/5/10, eppster2@myfairpoint.net wrote: > > > Dear Judith, > > Thanks for the photograph and its surprising inclusion in the > newsletter. I can't ignore the obvious--I've got to lose some weight! > > Last Monday Elizabeth returned to the lab and her new 24-hour a week > schedule. She is recovering well following a visit to the oncologist we > are now weighing the advantages and disadvantages of hormone therapy. > On Thursday we leave by car for eastern Pennsylvania to visit friends > and stock up on locale Amish good eats. > > Regarding your offer of the Metropolitan Parks Commission Reports, > there are very few complete (27 volume) sets and they retail for about > $800. It has been quite a few years since I examined closely the > earlier volumes in the TTOR archives at Long Hill. I need to find the > opportunity to look closely at the remaining volumes to determine > whether they are germane to my interests before I'd consider an offer. > But don't let my indecision restrict your actions > > For the last several weeks I've been revising various drafts of the > Dorr prospectus and tailoring them to suit the requirements of specific > publishers. In the case of Harvard University Press, I'm nearing > completion but would appreciate your advice. Their proposal guidelines > (www.hup.harvard.edu/resources/authors/proposal.html). provide no https://webmail.myfairpoint.net/mail/message.php?index=5644 10/14/2010 Page 2 of 2 > guidance on the length of the proposal. I've constructed several of > varying length (6-18 double-spaced pages) but am skittish about > elaborating too much or offering too little. Any suggestions? Care to > see the short and long versions? What has been your experience in these > first encounters? > > Were you pleased with the reactions to your presentation at The > Mount? I wish I could have been on MDI for the library meeting but > through October my I need to be available to Elizabeth. I am giving > some thought to a short trip to MDI in early November. Planning is > about to get underway for the upcoming 2016 centennial of the NPS. I've > been invited to participate. Since I've submitted several chapters of > an administrative history of the park for funding consideration, I > might be able to help and influence a reconstructed view of the park > founder and the first quarter-century of the park. I also need to do > some more dirty basement archival work with the extensive collection of > untouched J.D. Rockefeller Jr. park papers. > > Hope you are well and that you and your husband had a most pleasant > summer. > > Most Cordially, > > Ron > > Quoting Judith Tankard : > > Forwarded message > > From: Judith Tankard Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:04:15 -0400 >> Subject: visit to Garland Farm >> To: eppster2@fairpoint.net >> >> Dear Ron, >> I don't know if you've seen this picture or not. Thanks for the > > update. I'm sorry to learn about Elizabeth's condition. I've been > > there with the biopsies and lumpectomies, but outcome was fine. Thanks >> for your encouraging words about CE. Keep in touch. Best, Judith >> >> You have been sent 1 picture. >> >> >> MartiMirokutoEpps6-24-10.JPG >> >> These pictures were sent with Picasa, from Google. >> Try it out here: http://picasa.google.com/ > > Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. > 47 Pondview Drive > Merrimack, NH 03054 > (603) 424-6149 > eppster2@myfairpoint.net > > https://webmail.myfairpoint.net/mail/message.php?index=5644 10/14/2010 Page 1 of 1 Re: Rose Nichols From "judith" To Date Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:12:22-0400 Dear Ron, Poor Rose is an unsung hero, but nothing much is left of her work. Mastlands, her garden in Cornish, is now privately owned again and no longer a museum. Not enough info/data/correspondence/plans to do a proper bio of her and her gardens are not particularly outstanding. Grey Towers sent the photo of GP I used in the Arnoldia article. I've also written about her in Pioneers and a couple of other journals. Glad your book is progressing. Jane Roy Brown is a writer and editor for Landscape Architecture Magazine, so I'm sure you'll be happy working with her. She also edited the final issue of the Journal of the New England Garden History Society before Mass Hort dropped it. You're right about how difficult it is to write the Introduction. I rewrote the one for the Farrand book dozens of times, and then it was rewritten/modified by the editors. So hard to know what to say/not say. Good luck. Let me know if you need any more info on Rose. Have you visited the Nichols House Museum at 55 Mt. Vernon Street, Boston? Best, Judith At 11:29 AM 6/19/2009, you wrote: >Hi Judith, > >I came across your "Rose Standish Nichols" article several days ago >and have just finished reading it. >Very well done! I was not at all familiar with her but was >enlightened when you related her to Augustus Saint-Gaudens, linked >her to Charles Platt, and spoke about her work at Grey Towers. My >wife and I grew up in Allentown (PA) and for decades have driven >through Milford, stopping often at Grey Towers to walk the trails. >Since one of George Dorr's friends was Gifford Pinchot, I've also Jan Ray Brow- >had their staff look into the G.T. archives for correspondence, to no avail. >The week after next I'll send the first half of the Dorr biography When had cope >off to Robin Karson. My editor there is Jane Roy Brown. So far Histories Enterine >Karson did not like my Introduction but perhaps that is actually >best written after the biography is completed. I'll let you know how >it goes given your cautionary remarks. Jul 2008, Pp.50,52, > 54-56, >I look forward to the appearance of your Farrand biography though >I'll not be able to attend the Garland Farms reception. Any >appearances planned in the Boston area? > Have a relaxing summer, if the damn rain ever stops! > > All the Best, > > Ron > > Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. >47 Pondview Drive >Merrimack, NH 03054 >(603) 424-6149 >eppster2@myfairpoint.net https://webmail.myfairpoint.net/hwebmail/mail/message.php?index=1135 6/29/2009 12/20/2020 Sent - Mail - eppster2@comcast.net Xfinity Connect "Magnolia" Farrand article RONALD EPP 1:39 PM To Judith Tankard Reply Forward Delete Dear Judith, I hope that this email finds you and your hubby anticipating the joys associated with the season. The other day I chanced upon your celebration of Dumbarton Oaks Garden and Park. What a treat! So very well written, pulling this reader from one paragraph to another with special attention to the origin, development and difficult history of the Park. It makes me burn with a desire to visit once our country becomes safer. I had not known of Robert Patterson's consultancy there. And several of the images that you selected brought me back to my childhood; namely, the young women dressed in 40's attire dangling feet at Clapper Bridge Falls. But what prompted me to dig into my own archive was your second endnote. Walter Muir Whitehead is a giant by so many different forms of measurement. In working on the Dorr book I repeatedly found article after article by him that had relevance to my understanding of 19th and 20th century New England culture. If you have not read David McCord's bibliographic and memorial Boston Athenaeum essays on his personality, they are well worth your time--as is the F.S. Allis New England Quarterly memorial essay. Speaking of Boston, I have spent a great deal of time over the last six months pursuing virtual lectures being offered at the Boston Athenaeum, NEHGS, the Harvard Bookstore, and the MHS. They have lifted me out of house-bound isolation into the world of shared scholarship that I have sorely missed. I strongly recommend zooming to these sites. Stay safe!! Yours, Ron Ronald H. Epp, Ph.D. 7 Peachtree Terrace https://connect.xfinity.com/appsuite/#!!&app=io.ox/mail&folder=default0//qj%7Bo5Xlp%7D 1/1 Maine Olmsted Alliance for Parks & Landscapes Page 1 of 4 Maine Olmsted Alliance for Parks & Landscapes Book Reviews A Baker's Dozen of the Century's Best Books on American Gardens by Judith Tankard Summer 2001 As the new century opens, it is a good time to consider what are the great books that have been written about America's garden heritage in the last 100 years. Indeed, in the last two decades the market has been flooded with many good books (like it was in the early 1900s), making up for the paucity of publications in the mid years. When it comes down to it, almost all books (except the truly bad) have something to offer, but above all, what are the best of the best? The first book that immediately comes to mind is The =GOLDEN Golden Age of American Gardens: Proud Owners, MEHCANGARDENS Private Estates. 1899-1940 by Mac Griswold and Eleanor Weller (Harry N. Abrams, 1991). If I had to give a foreigner one book about America's historic gardens, this would be it. Not only is it attractive and beautifully produced, but it has a rich text. Although it's not a light read, there's something in it for everyone, from the novice to the serious scholar who thrives on bibliographic minutia. At over 400 pages, it is packed with solid research and a treasure trove of visuals, mostly vintage photographs from the Garden Club of America's collection now at the Smithsonian Institution. The authors paint a glorious picture of the peak of garden design in this country. May this book never go out of print. The book's predecessor, Gardens of Colony and State: Garden and Gardeners of the American Colonies and of the Republic Before 1840, was also instigated by the Garden Club of America. The two large folio volumes, edited by Alice Lockwood and issued by Charles Scribner's between 1931 and 1934, represent the glories of old-time publishing sensibilities: beautifully embossed bindings, nice paper and handsome illustrations. It's a thrill just to handle the books that are mostly now in libraries. For many years these lavishly illustrated tomes were the first books that gardeners, historians, or anybody turned to when they wanted to know more about regional gardens. Long out of print and steeply priced ($800-$1,200 for the set at specialty booksellers), the good news is that a more reasonably priced facsimile edition will be available shortly. For further information, contact The Garden Club of America, 14 East 60th St., New York, N.Y. 10022. A close runner-up for a visually appealing book is Louise Shelton's Beautiful Gardens in America (Charles Schribner's, 1915). While short on text, it has hundreds of vintage photographs of the best gardens in the country during the first decades of the 20th century. Many of the full-page photographs, an art form in themselves, were taken by "name" photographers of the era, such as Mattie Edwards Hewitt and Jessie Tarbox Beals. This book, and especially the revised 1924 edition, shows the glories of private gardens in their heyday. Whether you are interested in design, garden ornament, or planting, there is something for everyone in this book. Long out of print, copies can often be obtained from specialty booksellers. http://www.maineolmsted.org/journal/reviews/bakerdoz.html 12/2/2002 Maine Olmsted Alliance for Parks & Landscapes Page 2 of 4 For those interested in a "good, entertaining read" about gardens, one of the best of the best is Louise Beebe Wilder's Colour in My Garden (Doubleday, 1918), with charming watercolor illustrations by Anna Winegar. Considered the dean of American women garden writers, Wilder lovingly (and critically) regales her readers with the triumphs and failures in her own garden called Balderbrae. "It is the custom to despise magenta," she writes. "It is hustled out of our gardens and out of our consciousness and no one has eyes to see the imperial scarf of magenta Phlox that stoops to bind the dusty roadside." A devoted follower of the English doyenne of gardening Gertrude Jekyll (most women gardeners at that were), Wilder's exasperation with poor soil, a hot climate, and short bloom times (all in comparison with the over-rated English climate) is still heartfelt today. This book was reprinted in 1990 by Atlantic Monthly Press. See if you can find a copy. So what's new, you ask? What are the books that have come out more recently? At the top of the list would be Keeping Eden: A History of Gardening in America (Bulfinch, 1992), a collection of essays by leading historians, skillfully edited by Walter Punch for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. I hope the word "essays" doesn't put anyone off, because it's not stodgy at all and it is well illustrated with new photographs, drawings and period paintings. Topics include plants and seeds, science and technology (i.e., lawnmowers and garden tools), greenhouses, horticulture books, in addition to overviews of regional gardening from California to New England. Surprisingly, there are few books that give the overall history of American gardens. For those interested in the lore of gardening, no one surpasses Ann Leighton for blending a firm knowledge of history with a love of plants. Her trilogy -- Early American Gardens: "For Meate or Medicine," American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century: "For Use or Delight," and American Gardens of the Nineteenth Century: "For Comfort and Affluence" (University of Massachusetts Press, 1976-1988) -- is highly recommended reading. May Brawley Hill's book Grandmother's Garden: The Old-Fashioned American Garden 1865- 1915 (Abrams, 1995) set the modern-day standard for garden history books with a readable, intelligent text and extraordinarily beautiful illustrations, in this case paintings of gardens by American impressionist artists. One can simply goggle over the illustrations without even reading the text, but the reader would be missing Hill's delightful narrative explaining the charm of old-fashioned flower gardens and their regional diversity, from artists colonies to suburbia. It took an art historian rather than a horticulturist to focus on the visual aspects of garden appreciation. There are many books devoted to regional gardens, from Louisiana to Virginia to the West Coast, but three books stand out as exceptional. Starting in New SOFINE A PROSPECT England, perhaps the most delicious book in terms of Bisson Mez Expires sheer reading pleasure is Alan Emmet's So Fine a Prospect: Historic New England Gardens (University SEAX EXPER Press of New England, 1996). Progressing chronologically from the early 18th century to the early 20th, Emmet takes a different approach to garden appreciation. She presents 16 important private estates (some now vanished) through the eyes of the families who created them, using their diaries and other personal papers to help recreate their gardens as they perceived them. The reader is soon swept up in the progress of our country's history and the multiple ways that gardens express their owner's wealth, creativity and secret desires. Jumping to California, another outstanding book is David C. Streatfield's California Gardens: Creating a http://www.maineolmsted.org/journal/reviews/bakerdoz.html 12/2/2002 Maine Olmsted Alliance for Parks & Landscapes Page 3 of 4 New Eden (Abbeville, 1994). Much peppier in format (befitting the sunny climate), the book's attractive photographs belies the author's deep knowledge of his subject. Traversing from Hispanic mission gardens to California's signature modern gardens, such as those designed by Thomas Church, Garrett Eckbo, and Lawrence Halprin. Streatfield surfs through all the many influences that made California the kingdom that it is. Victorian, Arts and Crafts, and Homes of the Stars all sit comfortably side-by-side. Personally, every time I take this book down from the shelf I immediately want to fly off to California. And almost exactly in between the two coasts is a remarkable find, Susan Davis Price's Minnesota Gardens: An Illustrated History (Afron Historical Society, 1995). A multiple award- winner, the book is engagingly written and sensitively illustrated. It should be mandatory that every state have a book like this one. From the start I was enthralled with the visuals-early color postcards, family snapshots and modern photographs. The author tells us all about homesteaders and the seeds and gardening traditions they brought from the old country, the pleasure grounds of the Victorian era, and the "great estates and passionate gardeners" of the early 20th century. One extra special chapter is devoted to the home front: gardening, lawns and roses during the 1940s and 1950s. Who else ever wrote about this unassuming topic and made it come alive? A final chapter, "How Cold Is It?" brings it all home. If one had to cite the name of the most famous garden in America (the equivalent of Sissinghurst or Hidcote in England), it would be a tough call: Dumbarton Oaks, Longwood Gardens, Lotusland, Mount Vernon, Old Westbury Garden, Winterthur? Denise Magnani's The Winterthur Garden: Henry Francis duPont's Romance with the Land (Abrams, 1995) presents a good case for this world class garden in Delaware. Known for its serene woodland gardens with massive plantings of ornamental shrubs and wildflowers rather than showy borders and fancy garden layouts, Winterthur represents the best of the best of American gardens. Magnani's text, accompanied by Carol Betsch's sumptuous photographs, reveals Winterthur in four seasons, touching on the remarkable story of its creator. While all the books mentioned above will appeal to armchair-gardener readers as well as specialists, no list of the century's best books could be complete without citing at least one volume from the prestigious Dumbarton Oaks series. These publications represent the pinnacle of scholarship for the few who appreciate it. Regional Garden Design in the United States (Dumbarton Oaks, 1995), with essays by many leading historians, will appeal primarily to specialists who thrive on battles over the exact definitions of terms such as "regional" and "gardens." This volume (based on a symposium held in 1991) was one of the first to address regionalism in this field, using case studies of the work of Jens Jensen, Wilhelm Miller, Horace Cleveland, and other names known only to historians. These publications are available from the Dumbarton Oaks Publication Office, 1703 32nd St., Washington D.C. 20007 (202.339.6431). The final book, 100 Years of Landscape Architecture: Some Patterns of a Century (American Society of Landscape Architects, 1999) breaks beyond the barrier of "gardens" into the territory of landscape architecture. It is a handsomely produced book, published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ASLA, with an insightful text by historian Melanie Simo. It is an outstanding publication, with appealing photographs that showcase the best work of each decade. One gets more of a sense of the progress of this country's culture and aesthetics through this one book than any other mentioned. The volume is definitely a keepsake, with its handsome binding and its own slipcase. To order the book, contact the ASLA Book Store (800.787.2665) or www.asla.org. Judith B. Tankard edits the Journal of the New England Garden History Society and teaches in the landscape design history program at Radcliffe Seminars. Her most recent book, A Place of Beauty: The Artists and Gardens of the Cornish Colony (Tenspeed Press, 2000), received a Quill and Trowel Award from the Garden Writers Association of America. This article originally appeared in Volume 5, No. 1 of Traditional Gardening. It is reprinted http://www.maineolmsted.org/journal/reviews/bakerdoz.html 12/2/2002