Frederick Law Olmsted: Writings on Landscape, Culture, and Society (LOA #270) (Library of America)
by Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles Beveridge (Editor)
On This Page
Description
A highly varied collection including letters, travel sketches, newspaper articles, essays, editorials, design proposals, official reports, and autobiographical reminiscences. Subjects include life in China where he was briefly an apprentice seaman, Olmsted's observations on the situation of the South before the Civil War, his war service organizing relief supplies, and his advocacy for the preservation of public lands at Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Niagara Falls.Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
LOA's compendium of Olmsted writings is a mix of biography, memoir, and essay -- unexpectedly expansive as a read, quite full of wonder really, but not matching any familiar reading experience. I found it made for a pleasurable read, so long as I let myself be guided where it went, allowed a different type of book to reveal itself to me.
My primary interest in Writings on Landscape, Culture, and Society was Olmsted's landscape & environmental writings. I knew of Olmsted as the architect for NYC's Central Park, and his influence on Chicago's White City. Included here is a wealth of writing on landscape architecture and design, but Olmsted's approach is far more holistic than anticipated, impressively so. His professional experience show more extended to executive of sanitary commission (read: Red Cross) for the Union in the US Civil War, journalism, and an abiding interest in nautical service. His outlook and principles amount to an American Renaissance Man, and his writings (including the many letters included here) reflect that broad, humanitarian concern.
Arranged chronologically, I expect it will be best to revisit the book by dipping into select pieces by topic. In my first reading (for which I completed perhaps three-quarters of the whole), I proceeded from first page and read straight through. This provides a pleasant introduction to Olmsted's interests and experience, but also means it's easy to lose the thread of particular themes as they are dropped for something else in the chronology.
//
The point that I stand for is that no house is a fit place for a family that has not both public and private outside apartments. [458]
Themes of interest:
- Landscape architecture, not only design of public parks or private grounds but also ecology and conservation
- White supremacy and race relations in the US
- Proper role of public space in health and vitality of different settlements: village, town, city
- Education
- Influence of nautical tradition and ideal of gentleman farmer show less
My primary interest in Writings on Landscape, Culture, and Society was Olmsted's landscape & environmental writings. I knew of Olmsted as the architect for NYC's Central Park, and his influence on Chicago's White City. Included here is a wealth of writing on landscape architecture and design, but Olmsted's approach is far more holistic than anticipated, impressively so. His professional experience show more extended to executive of sanitary commission (read: Red Cross) for the Union in the US Civil War, journalism, and an abiding interest in nautical service. His outlook and principles amount to an American Renaissance Man, and his writings (including the many letters included here) reflect that broad, humanitarian concern.
Arranged chronologically, I expect it will be best to revisit the book by dipping into select pieces by topic. In my first reading (for which I completed perhaps three-quarters of the whole), I proceeded from first page and read straight through. This provides a pleasant introduction to Olmsted's interests and experience, but also means it's easy to lose the thread of particular themes as they are dropped for something else in the chronology.
//
The point that I stand for is that no house is a fit place for a family that has not both public and private outside apartments. [458]
Themes of interest:
- Landscape architecture, not only design of public parks or private grounds but also ecology and conservation
- White supremacy and race relations in the US
- Proper role of public space in health and vitality of different settlements: village, town, city
- Education
- Influence of nautical tradition and ideal of gentleman farmer show less
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Published Reviews
Not a review of the LOA volume specifically, rather of Olmsted's collected papers, of which many are included in LOA's edition.
“Many people have Olmsted parks in their neighborhoods [and] they don’t know that he designed them,” said Bair. “He was one of the pioneers in bringing the whole field of landscape architecture to the United States.”
“Many people have Olmsted parks in their neighborhoods [and] they don’t know that he designed them,” said Bair. “He was one of the pioneers in bringing the whole field of landscape architecture to the United States.”
added by elenchus
Lists
Best Architecture Books
87 works; 14 members
Author Information
40+ Works 1,009 Members
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Library of America (270)
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Home & Garden, Travel, History, Biography & Memoir, General Nonfiction, Art & Design
- DDC/MDS
- 712.092 — Arts & recreation Area planning & landscape architecture Landscape architecture (Landscape design) History, geographic treatment, biography Biography
- LCC
- SB470 .O5 .A533 — Agriculture Horticulture. Plant propagation. Plant breeding Plant culture Landscape gardening. Landscape architecture
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 111
- Popularity
- 291,416
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.83)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 2
