Experiencing Olmsted: The Enduring Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted’s North American Landscapes

Birnbaum, Levee, and Tasse-Winter, members of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, celebrate in this gorgeous tome the 200th birthday of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Birnbaum writes in the introduction that “the Olmsted firm literally shaped the nation from coast to coast,” a position bolstered by the survey that follows. In New York City, there’s Central Park, where Olmsted’s career began, as well as the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which captures the firm’s “vision of the pastoral.” Washington, D.C., boasts his work on the White House grounds; Torrington, Conn., features the Hillside cemetery, which has a “verdant tranquility”; Asheville, N.C., is home to the Vanderbilts’ Biltmore estate; and the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial in Gatlinburg, Tenn., was never fully completed but still met its goal to “provide views on both sides of the notch.” Abundant photographs, both vintage and contemporary, come alongside fascinating blueprints, drawings, and maps. The authors make a strong case for just how influential Olmsted’s firm was, as he created and promoted “the comprehensive park system... parkways... and performative, ecologically driven design.” The result is a beautiful look at how some landmarks came to be. (Aug.)