Product Description

The definitive work on a formative period in American landscape design In this lavishly illustrated volume, Robin Karson traces the development of a distinctly American style of landscape design through an analysis of seven country places created by some of the nation's most talented landscape practitioners.

In the mid-nineteenth century Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of New York's Central Park, developed an approach to landscape design based on the principles of the English Picturesque which also emphasized a specifically American experience of nature and scenery. After Olmsted's retirement in 1897, these precepts continued to ground a new generation of American landscape architects through the next four decades, a period known as the country place era, a time of rapid economic, social, and cultural change.

In the early twentieth century, new fortunes made it possible for wealthy Americans to commission country estates as a means of aggrandizing social status. These private havens also offered their owners respite from crowded cities and a way to preserve and celebrate places of distinctive landscape beauty. The commissions provided burgeoning numbers of landscape architects with opportunities to experiment with stylistic influences derived from Beaux-Arts, Arts and Crafts, and even Asian principles.

The chapters in this book trace a progression in the period from the naturalistic wild gardens of Warren Manning to the mysterious Prairie style landscapes of Jens Jensen to the proto-modernist gardens of Fletcher Steele. Other practitioners cov ered are Charles Platt, Ellen Biddle Shipman, Beatrix Farrand, Marian Coffin, and Lockwood de Forest Jr. The projects profiled follow a broad geographic arc, from Stockbridge, Massachusetts, to Santa Barbara, California. All seven landscapes are now open to visitors.

Analyzing these designs in context with one another and against the backdrop of the professional and cultural currents that shaped larger projects such as parks, campuses, and planned communities Karson creates a rich and comprehensive picture of the artistic achievements of the period. Striking black-and-white images by landscape photographer Carol Betsch illuminate the transporting spirit of these country places today, while hundreds of drawings, plans, and historical photographs bring the past to life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #242331 in Books
• Published on: 2007-12-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 428 pages

Review
"Monographs have been written about some of the individuals who created America 's glorious estate landscapes during the opulent period known as the country place era, but the collective story of these place-makers and their creations has not been told until now. Here at last is a book that treats eight important designers of the early twentieth century and seven extraordinary landscapes associated with them in a fluid, integrated narrative offering engaging biographical detail and insightful analysis." -- Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, author of "Landscape Design: A Cultural and Architectural History"

"A major contribution to this long-neglected area of scholarship, Robin Karson's new book finally gives this extraordinary creative flowering its due. . . . This thoughtfully illustrated, authoritative text sets a high standard for other works to follow, and opens the door to a rich chapter in the history of American landscape architecture." -- Mark Alan Hewitt, author of "The Architect and the American Country House"

"The eight biographical studies are excellent summations of the careers of the designers, while the sections concerning the seven estates on which they worked give a vivid sense of the design process involved. The presentation is graceful, clear, and thoughtful." -- Charles E. Beveridge, author of "Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing the American Landscape"

"They're all here: Charles Platt, Beatrix Farrand, Jens Jensen. The great American country estates of 1900-1930 continue to be paragons of the art of garden design. Robin Karson's splendid new book discusses the important landscape architects of this period, and analyzes their important achievements." -- Witold Rybczynski, author of "A Clearing in the Distance"

"This is an outstanding book. . . . I regard it as the best work I have read on the Country Place Era. Its selection of case studies focuses on the best designs of the period by the most talented individuals. . . . The writing is lucid, engaging, and witty, and the book should appeal to professional designers, historians, and lay persons alike." -- Reuben M. Rainey, author of "Modern Public Gardens: Robert Royston and the Suburban Park"

"Formidable in scope and impressive in presentation. . . . Altogether, text visuals, and format work to produce a significant and beautiful book. Building on past scholarship and pointing the way for future investigations, Karson's work contributes significantly to the profession's history and our understanding of its evolution. Landscape historians will devour what's here; others should find inspiration in planting schemes, design details, scale relationships, and photography. This is a feast to be savored and digested slowly, over time." --Landscape Architecture, Oct. 2008

"What a feast Karson has spread before us!...The amalgam of people and places and their connections to each other make the book vastly interesting and lead us into novel insights on American society, cultural, intellectual, and even economic history." --Charles C. McLaughlin, founding editor, "The Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted"

This book by Karson (Library of American Landscape History), handsomely illustrated with plans and historic photographs and with photographer Betsch's wonderful work, focuses on eight American landscape architects and seven places they designed in the roughly four decades following the death of Frederick Olmsted in 1903. . . . Summing up: Recommended. --Choice, October 2008

About the Author
ROBIN KARSON is author of Fletcher Steele, Landscape Architect and The Muses of Gwinn, and coeditor of Pioneers of American Landscape Design. She serves as executive director of the Library of American Landscape History.

Customer Reviews

A Genius for Place
A Genius for Place, the latest work by noted landscape historian and preservationist Robin Karson, offers an illuminating look at a number of noteworthy American landscapes of the Country Place Era, including the du Pont estate at Winterthur and Naumkeag in Stockbridge, and weaves together the historical, cultural, esthetic, and personal influences on landscape designers such as Warren Manning, Beatrix Farrand, and Fletcher Steele. Speaking of illuminating, the lavishly illustrated volume features stunning photographs by gifted landscape photographer Carol Betsch. A Genius for Place is an impeccably researched, beautifully written book, accessible to both scholars in the field and the garden variety reader alike.

LandscapeLeadership Review
I thoroughly enjoyed "A Genius for Place". It's a huge book, 428 pages, but I worked my way thru it in just a few weeks.

I typically read one section each morning. I found myself anxiously anticipating the coming morning when I would learn about the next featured designer or estate (I know, I need to get a life...).

Here's what I really like about this book:

* It's very well organized and sequenced. This allows you to really follow along and understand the time and place.

* Each designer, estate and garden is covered in depth. Only 8 of the very best designers are covered.

* Robin describes and compares the personalities of the designers and homeowners really well. You really get a sense of what each character was like and how they related to one another.

* The photos are impressive, but what I like even more are the plan-view drawings of the gardens.

If you want to learn about our predecessors who paved the way for the design profession or simply like to visit and study famous estates and gardens, then "A Genius for Place" is for you.

A delightful read!
A marvelous book! Great historical and contemporary photographs compliment the text, and you really feel like you are walking through these gardens and landscapes. The combination of the short biographies of the landscape architects with a thoughtful analysis of their finest work really brings both artist and place alive. This book is that rare delight, good critical art history that is also very entertaining to read.