Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing the American Landscape [Hardcover]

Charles Beveridge (Author), Paul Rocheleau (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2005

Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) designed America's most beloved parks and landscapes of the past century--New York's Central Park, Brooklyn's Prospect Park, the U.S. Capitol grounds, the Biltmore Estate, and many others. From the authors and photographer of the definitive book on Olmsted comes this condensed edition presenting the breadth of Olmsted's work in expansive, beautiful color photographs. The engaging text illuminates Olmsted's role as an indefatigable social resource.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charles E. Beveridge is Series Editor of the Frederick Law Olmsted Papers, Department of History, American University, Washington, D.C.

Paul Rocheleau is a senior photographer for The Magazine Antiques and the Smithsonian New England Guides. His growing list of successful books includes Classic America, Victorian America, Frank Lloyd Wright: The Masterworks, and American Masterworks: The Twentieth-Century House, all for Rizzoli.

David Larkin is well known as a designer and director of illustrated books. Working with Paul Rocheleau, he has compiled Classic America, Victorian America, Frank Lloyd Wright: The Masterworks, and American Masterworks: The Twentieth-Century House, among others.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (September 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 084781842X
• ISBN-13: 978-0847818426
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 1.1 x 11.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #446,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Man Behind Many of Our Treasured Parks, May 25, 2006

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing the American Landscape (Universe Architecture Series) (Paperback)

Frederick Law Olmstead (1822 - 1903) ranks among the most important landscape architects of his time, and indeed of history. His most famous accomplishment was his design and execution of the multifaceted magnificence of New York City's Central Park, presented here in this fine book with many of the details that today go unnoticed.

Charles Beveridge has written extensively about Olmstead but here his knowledge of Olmstead's genius is enhanced by numerous drawings and maps of layout as well as the beautiful photography by Paul Rocheleau. The entire volume is edited and designed by David Larkin in a manner that not only brings out the scholarly aspects of this book but lays out the various areas in both Central Park and in some of the other Olmstead works (Brooklyn's Prospect Park, the U.S. Capitol grounds, the Biltmore Estate among others) in a fashion that makes this a true art book.

There may be many reasons to place this book in the library, but one that is certain to appeal to everyone is the importance of the myriad details of the great Central Park presented here with more majesty than in any other volume. Recommended. Grady Harp, May 06

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great stuff, June 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing the American Landscape (Universe Architecture Series) (Paperback)

I have been a great fan of Olmstead's design and outlook. This book provides a wonderful overview of his style, his vision and his ideas about how to create beauty out of the natural enivironment. Architects will benefit from his approach to design and construction and his ideas should be a model for those of us new to the field.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FATHER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, October 9, 2006

By 

Shannon Deason (Houston) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing the American Landscape (Universe Architecture Series) (Paperback)

Really a nice book on the work of the singular Frederick Law Olmsted. The book has well presented images and the text is highly informative. Olmsted was a pioneer in the field of landscape architecture and people in this profession today own him a huge debt of gratitude, as do we all, because he popularized the idea of the great urban neighborhood of the automobile age with it's windening streets and statigically planted trees and shrubs. Olmsted really understood the concept of vista's and how people interact with nature, all you need to do is walk through his Central Park in New York, or one the neighborhood designs he influenced, like Beverly Hills, River Oaks, Grosse Pointe, or Highland Park, these are some of the most saught after neighborhoods in America. His influence is shown in the park designs of Hermann Park in Houston, Audubon Park and City Park in New Orleans, and Golden Gate Park in San Fransisco, just to name of a few, his importance to the field of landscape architecture cannot be overstated. This book does a fine job of illustrating this and I highly recommend it.