The material consists mostly of photographic prints. A few negatives, photomechanical prints, tintypes, drawings, newspaper clippings, notes, and letters are also included. Much of the material is annotated. In part, the file was assembled for or relates to many accessions and cataloging units of the division.
The material was received from professionals and amateurs, mostly working in North America. The images are of artifactual and skeletal specimens, fradulent specimens, collections of specimens, sites, excavations, site features, ruins, petroglyphs, and field parties. A few are reproductions of maps and portraits of native people. Some of the specimens are in the Smithsonianʹs collections, but many are not.
Included among the many subjects are photographs of Dighton Rock in Massachusetts; many ruins of the 1931 Moundville, Alabama, excavation; Tlingit burial boxes; excavations, specimens, and Aleut portraits taken by Waldemar I. Jochelsonʹs Ethnological Section of the Riaboushinsky Expedition, 1909-1912; Richard Wetherillʹs party in Mancos Canyon, Colorado, and F. S. Hempsteadʹs Archaeological and Topographic Map of Portsmouth," [Ohio].
Some of the material relates to the work of Charles L. Bernheimer in Utah, Burnham S. Colburn in Georgia and North Carolina, Thomas Featherstonehaugh in Florida, Otto William Geist in Alaska, A. T. Hill in Nebraska, Walter Hough in Arizona (for the Gates-United States National Museum Expedition, 1901), George Langford in Illinois, Henry Montgomery in North Dakota, Clarence B. Moore in Florida, Henri F. Pittier in Costa Rica, and F. B. Stebbins in Tennessee. Collections are those of Charles Artes (filed Indiana), Thomas Beckwith (filed Missouri), C. W. Branch (filed West Indies), Burham S. Colburn Cherokee relics (filed North Carolina), James Pillars (filed Ohio), Governor Price (frauds from New Mexico), Ephraim George Squier and Edwin Hamilton Davis (filed Ohio).
The material is from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas Utah, Virginia, Washington, Costa Rica, British Columbia, Canada, New Zealand, Nova Scotia, South Pacific, and West Indies.
The works of many photographers are included. Among them are John K. Hillers, William Henry Jackson, Sumner W. Matteson, Edgar A. Mearns, Victor Mindeleff, and Timothy H. OʹSullivan.
Papers, 1959-1987, of Elizabeth Gordon, editor of the periodical, House Beautiful from 1941-1964, mostly related to her research for the August and September 1960 issues of House Beautiful regarding the Japanese aesthetic concept of "shibui", and the subsequent travelling "shibui exhibition" from 1961-1964. Included are correspondence, some photocopies, 1959-1963; notes; drafts for articles and lectures; printed material including magazine and newspaper clippings, 1959-1987; 2 books, and exhibition announcements; drawings of paper and foil art; a photo album containing photos of exhibition installations; and photographs, slides, color transparencies, and lantern slides depicting people, sites, and objects reflecting the "shibui" aesthetic.
Scope and Contents:
The Elizabeth Gordon Papers measure 4.5 linear feet and span the years 1959-1987. The collection mainly documents Ms. Gordon's research for the August and September 1960 issues of House Beautiful regarding the Japanese aesthetic concept of "shibui", and the subsequent travelling "shibui exhibition" from 1961-1964. Included are correspondence, some photocopies, 1959-1963; research notes and materials; articles; lectures; printed material including magazine and newspaper clippings, 1959-1987; 2 books, and exhibition announcements; article materials; a photo album containing photos of exhibition installations; and photographs, slides, color transparencies, and lantern slides depicting people, sites, and objects reflecting the "shibui" aesthetic.
Arrangement note:
This collection is organized into eight series. 1. Biographical data, 2. Shibui research, 3. Shibui issues of, House Beautiful, 4. Correspondence, 5. Shibui promotion, 6. Exhibition files, 7. Printed materials, and 8. Photographs.
Biographical Information:
Born in Logansport, Indiana in 1906, Elizabeth Gordon served as editor of House Beautiful magazine 1941 to 1964. Ms. Gordon first became interested in Japanese aesthetics during the mid-1950s. As a result she began to read and study Japanese art, history and culture. In 1959, Gordon travelled to Japan with three staff people from, House Beautiful. In Kyoto she met Eiko Yuasa, a young woman then employed by the City of Kyoto to handle foreign V.I.P.s, who was assigned to assist Gordon during her stay there. It was Ms. Yuasa who, in the course of discussions of Japanese aesthetics, introduced the term "shibui." Around that term and its related concepts ("iki", "jimi", "hade") the theme for the issue began to crystallize. In August and September, 1960, House Beautiful, under the editorial control of Ms. Gordon, published two extremely popular issues devoted to the subject of "shibui". Due to the popularity of the issues, museum exhibits devoted to the concept of "shibui" travelled around the United States. Ms. Gordon died in Adamstown, Maryland in 2000.
Biographical Overview
1906 -- Born in Logansport, Indiana
1920s -- Attended the University of Chicago
1930s -- Moved to New York to work as a promotional copywriter for several newspapers
1930s -- Syndicated columnist on home maintenance for The New York Herald Tribune
1930s -- Editor at Good Housekeeping (here for 8 years)
1937 -- More House for your Money by Elizabeth Gordon and Dorothy Ducas published by W. Morrow and Company: New York.
1937 -- Married Carl Hafey Norcross
1939 -- Appointed editor of House Beautiful
1964 -- Left the magazine world
1972 -- Published a special issue on Scandinavian design and awarded the insignia of a knight, first class, in the Finnish Order of the Lion
1987 -- American Institute of Architects made her an honorary member
1988 -- Carl Hafey Norcross died
September 3, 2000 -- Died in Adamstown, MD
(The following biography of Elizabeth Gordon comes courtesy of curator Louise Cort. Written in consultation with Elizabeth Gordon, October 23, 1987)
The research papers, memoranda, magazines, books, photographs and color transparencies and other materials in this archives are related to the publication by Elizabeth Gordon (Mrs. Carl Norcross), editor of House Beautiful from 1941 to 1964 and creator of the August, 1960 issue of the magazine on the special theme of the Japanese aesthetic concept of "shibui". The "shibui issue" was followed by the September, 1960, issue of the same publication on the theme, "How to be shibui with American things." As a by-product of the issues, a "Shibui Exhibition" travelled to eleven museums in the United States during 1961-1964. Each exhibition was opened with a slide lecture by Elizabeth Gordon.
Miss Gordon first became curious about Japanese aesthetics in the mid-1950s when she began to see Japanese objects being displayed and used in the homes of Americans who had spent time in Japan during the Occupation and Japanese influence began to appear in wholesale showrooms of home furnishings manufacturers. It was clear that the time had come: she HAD to go to Japan!
She read for five years before going to Japan - history, social mores, art history. (Many of the books on Japan that she collected during this time have been presented to the library at the University of Maryland, College Park.)
An important bit of advice came from Alice Spaulding Bowen, owner of Pacifica, the highest quality shop of Asian antiquities in Honolulu, who told her, "Be sure to read, The Tale of Genji - then you'll understand everything."
She made her first trip to Japan in April, 1959, accompanied by three staff people from, House Beautiful. In Kyoto she met Eiko Yuasa, a young woman then employed by the City of Kyoto to handle foreign V.I.P.s, who was assigned to assist Miss Gordon during her stay there. It was Ms. Yuasa who, in the course of discussions of Japanese aesthetics, introduced the term "shibui." Around that term and its related concepts ("iki", "jimi", "hade") the theme for the issue began to crystallize.
Miss Gordon came home, planning to spend the summer researching "shibui" with the aid of the Japan Society. But she found virtually nothing written in English on the concept. So she returned to Japan in December, 1959 together with staff member Marion Gough, to dig deeper and to work out details and get better educated with Eiko Yuasa. One of their devices was to walk through department stores and discuss with sales personnel whether objects for sale were "shibui", or were "jimi" or "hade", and why. Between themselves, they did the same for the costumes of women they saw on the streets.
Lacking printed sources for information on "shibui", Miss Gordon sought out and interviewed experts, including Douglas Overton, head of the Japan Society in New York. In Japan in December, 1959, she met Yanagi Soetsu, founder of Japan's Folk Craft Movement and head of the Craft Museum in Tokyo (with an introduction from Tonomura Kichinosuke, head of the Craft Museum in Kurashiki). She met the chef Tsuji Kaichi, who was commissioned to write an article on "kaiseki" (that could not be used because of an inadequate English translation) and Frances Blakemore. She met several times with Bernard Leach and attended his lecture at Bonnier's while he was in New York in March, 1960. (He would later write a "fan letter" for the issue)
As the concept of "the shibui issue" began to take shape, a third trip in the spring of 1960 focused on photography - to produce the shooting script decided on the preceding December. This was executed by the noted photographer Ezra Stoller of Rye, New York, and John DeKoven Hill, House Beautiful's Editorial Director. (Mr. Hill worked with Frank Lloyd Wright except for the ten years that he was a member of the House Beautiful editorial staff)
Miss Gordon was back in Japan in Mid-August 1960 as the "shibui issue" was causing a sensation. Altogether she spent sixteen months in Japan.
As one of the experiences that influenced her strong interest in Japanese costumes and textiles, Miss Gordon remembers a spectacularly thorough exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno on, 1200 Years of Japanese Costume. She saw it on the last day of its exhibition (possibly 1964).
The August 1960 issue sold out quickly. Copies of the magazine, which sold for fifty cents, were sold on the "black market" for ten dollars.
The publication of the August 1960 issue was followed by an unprecedented avalanche of "fan mail". Many department heads in colleges and universities, including the Harvard-Yenching Institute and the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (where Miss Gordon had worked as an undergraduate) wrote to comment on the issue. Many people in other fields of endeavor wrote: heads of firms concerned with interior design, landscape architecture, and related areas expressed their interest in the concept of "shibui" Other writers include Bernard Leach, Gertrude Natzler, Laura Gilpin, Mainbocher, the architect Yoshimura Junzo, the textile artist Marianne Strengell, Walter Kerr, Craig Claiborne, and Oliver Statler.
The "shibui issue" was followed immediately by the September issue dealing with the use of non-Japanese objects to express the concept of "shibui." (Miss Gordon convinced her advertisers, who had been skeptical about the potential success of the August issue, by promising the September issue dealing with American products.) Four American firms were involved in the production of an integrated line of paints, wallpaper, furniture and carpets expressive of the concept. Products were designed by the firms' designers following the clues offered by objects and fabrics purchased by Miss Gordon in Japan in December 1959 and spring 1960. Miss Gordon has expressed her dissatisfaction with the September issue, although public opinion was positive. She feels that some of the firms failed in the "shibui" project, though some "caught" the message: namely the paint company and the fabric/wallpaper company.
In response to strong public interest, the House Beautiful staff prepared a travelling exhibition to introduce the concept of "shibui" through a series of vignettes, mixing fabrics and objects, colors and textures. The museum installation was designed by John Hill of House Beautiful. Japan Air Lines underwrote shipping costs.
The exhibition began in Philadelphia in late 1961. Ezra Stoller was sent to photograph the installation in considerable detail at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts in January, 1962, so that his photographs cold serve as guidelines for installations at the other museums, which included the San Francisco Museum of Art (April 1962), the Newark Pubic Library, and the Honolulu Academy of Art. Miss Gordon presented a lecture on "shibui" at each of the museum installations.
In appreciation of her work to introduce Americans to the concept of "shibui", the city of Kyoto presented a bolt of especially "shibui" kimono fabric executed by a Living National Treasure textile artist. Miss Gordon eventually tailored the fabric into a dress and jacket. She received the 1961 Trail Blazer Award from the New York Chapter of the National Home Fashions League, Inc. In June, 1987, Miss Gordon was named an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects, with her introduction of the concept of "shibui" and her promotion of an understanding of other culture cited as her major contributions to American architecture.
Provenance:
Elizabeth Gordon donated her papers to the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives in 1988.
Elizabeth Gordon donated her papers to the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives in 1988.
The Elizabeth Gordon Papers, FSA.A1988.03. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Elizabeth Gordon, 1988
United States of America -- Tennessee -- Shelby County -- Memphis
United States of America -- Tennessee -- Shelby County -- Memphis
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets, site plans, a copy of an article about the garden, and additional information.
General:
This intimate patio garden on less than one-tenth of an acre reflects the background and interests of its Anglophile owners. An abundance of fine English containers in every size and design contain a plethora of plants, yet each is always suitable to the style they have established. It is these containers and the mellow, worn, warm furnishings that are the first inspiration for the plants that are chosen. Numerous seating and dining areas provide a distinct view making the space appear far larger than its dimensions. Several mature trees, the tall brick walls that enclose the property, and other features were in place when the current owners arrived in 2005. Lower terraced walls defining planting areas and surfaces for the many garden artifacts were also there but were soon enhanced by the magical layering of containers and plantings. A water feature provides more variety, as do the many creative touches. Granite tabletops, wooden benches, antique iron benches and chairs, a replica of an old church serving as a birdhouse, Victorian era urns and orbs, a plaque of the Prince of Wales' Feathers, and even a mounted deer head all happily co-exist with magnolias, viburnum, hosta, sedum, lace-cap hydrangeas, and many other plants. In short, this is both a pleasing and fascinating space.
Persons associated with the site include Edith Manogue (former owner, 1974-2005).
Related Materials:
Graham Garden related holdings consist of 1 folder (10 35 mm. slides (photographs))
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
United States of America -- Tennessee -- Davidson County -- Nashville
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes a worksheet, garden plans, and photocopies of articles about the garden.
General:
Hunter's HIll is essentially an old country house whose original owners were accustomed to fox hunting on their estate of 500 acres. The property now consists of 26.5 acres and the current owners' focus has been to marry the original bones of the garden to its natural setting in the countryside. The Gothic style of the house is echoed in qualities of the garden, including a decorative arch of cedar trellis. Boxwood topiary complement antique garden statuary and contemporary sculpture. The overall effect melds old and new, lush plantings and surrounding woodlands, into an elegant whole.
Persons associated with the garden include: Mr. and Mrs. Guilford Dudley (former owners, 1928-mid-1930s); Mr. and Mrs. Lindenberg (former owners, mid-1930s-1952); Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mountcastle (former owners, 1952-1992); and Ben Page (landscape architect, 1993).
Related Materials:
Hunter's Hill related holdings consist of 1 folder (16 35 mm. slides)
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
The Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Robinson Jr. Garden (Nashville, Tennessee)
United States of America -- Tennessee -- Davidson -- Nashville
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets, photocopies of articles and other information.
General:
The garden and residence of Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Robinson represents one of the first "Country Place Era" gardens in Nashville. The Neoclassical home, designed by architects A. Christian Asmus and Richard R. Clark, was built in 1929 by F.J. McCarthy and his wife Mary Byrd McCarthy. When the current owners assumed ownership of the property in 1987, the garden areas near the house were primarily lawns surrounded by towering boxwood hedges, formal and static in design. With the desire to allow more light into the Neoclassical style house as well as to create terraces to accommodate an eight foot change in elevation and a garden room for a swimming pool, the owners turned to their sons-in-law, landscape architect Ben Page (ASLA) and architect Stephen P. Rick (AIA) to renovate the property. The four garden rooms that were designed are arranged laterally alongside and below the house with surrounding high walls and interior low walls. A pre-existing 50-foot antique wrought iron fence and a pergola built on massive piers were incorporated into the design and separate the garden rooms from the natural garden that comprises the rest of the property. The first room is a large terrace that can be tented for special events, with steps down to a more intimate sunken terrace for family use, followed by more steps to a formal parterre rose garden with a pool and fountain in the middle and pear trees espaliered against one wall, and lastly a landscaped pool and new pool house converted from a three car garage with cutting and vegetable gardens nearby. A door in the garden wall closes off the swimming area when it is out of season.
This garden features plant material and hardscape with provenance, starting with the Seven Sisters climbing roses that were transplanted from another family property in the 1930s. Peonies planted by the current owner's mother still thrive below the pool house and border the cutting and vegetable gardens. The antique wrought iron fence was salvaged from another Nashville property and bricks used for the walks once comprised East Nashville sidewalks laid in the late 1800s. A Charlie Hunt sculpture "Dove of Peace" was carved from a foundation stone salvaged from an East Nashville church, Saint Ann's Episcopal (1882-1998). Native limestone and Tennessee Crab Orchard stone are local materials used for the walls and terraces.
In early spring a row of Yoshino cherry trees blooms along one side of a brick walkway just inside the high limestone wall with tulips blooming on the other side. Pansies and tulips surround the fountain in the rose garden for early color. In summer Annabelle hydrangeas border the swimming pool, and perennial flower beds come into bloom.
The gardens on the estate provide ample opportunities for a wide variety of social, civic and charitable events. One such event was the 1993 Swan Ball Patron's Party for the benefit of Cheekwood Botanical Barden and Museum of Art. The current owner has also hosted a series of literary salons to benefit the Nashville Public Library. Numerous local non-profits have benefited from fundraisers and garden tours hosted at the estate.
Persons associated with the garden include Mr. F.J. and Mary Byrd McCarthy (former owners, 1929-1931); Mr. Edwin Wilson Craig and Elizabeth Wade Craig (former owners, 1931-1987); Christian A. Asmus and Richard R Clark (architects, 1929-1939); Ben Page, ASLA (landscape architect, 1988-1990); Stephen P. Rick (architect, 1988-1990); William Ralston (sculptor); Charlie Hunt (sculptor); Pink Ray (groundskeeper, 1931-1958); Mark Owen (groundskeeper, 1948-1971); Roy Goddard (groundskeeper, 1972-1981); Malcolm Campbell (grounds manager, 1981-1990); Norman David Pugh (grounds manager, 1990-present); Michele Webber (gardener, 2010-present).
Related Materials:
The Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Robinson Jr. Garden related holdings consist of 1 folder (69 digital images)
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
[Graham Garden]: walkway leading to rear garden, showing 'Sarah's Favorite' crape myrtle, a river birch (Betula nigra), and an Australian Sword Fern (Nephrolepis obliterata) 'Kimberly Queen' in a large antique English pot.
United States of America -- Tennessee -- Shelby County -- Memphis
United States of America -- Tennessee -- Shelby County -- Memphis
Date:
2007 Apr.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
United States of America -- Tennessee -- Shelby -- Memphis
Date:
2013 Apr.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
The Craighead House and Garden (Nashville, Tennessee)
United States of America -- Tennessee -- Davidson -- Nashville
Date:
2013 Aug.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
United States of America -- Tennessee -- Davidson County -- Nashville
Meldhaven Home and Gardens (Nashville, Tennessee)
Scope and Contents:
31 digital images and 1 folder.
General:
Meldhaven Home and Gardens is situated on the 129- acre former H.G. Hill estate located six miles west of downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The property was subdivided in 1995 into estate-sized lots and named Hill Place, leaving the existing Hill home, mature shade trees, white rail fencing, and pastoral land bordering the railroad tracks and Richland Creek.
Meldhaven was partially completed in 1998 by the original owner before the current owners purchased the property in 1999. They began remodeling the home and grounds, adding a swimming pool, pool house, brick walls, garden beds, and soil amendments. The gardens feature a number of propagated rare plants, architectural collections, and also contain pollinator, cutting, and vegetable gardens. The entire property incorporates composting and is cultivated using exclusively organic practices.
Along the front driveway entrance to the home, mature trees native to the original Hill property divide a canopy for an understory bed filled with perennials. On the driveway to the Northern side of the property, specimen trees like the holly tea olive, dwarf-grafted umbrella catalpa tree, hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), china firs, and junipers are interspersed. The loss of a large maple tree facilitated the creation of border and island stumpery beds gathered from a collection of stumps found after years of being submerged underwater. The stumps were placed in beds with architectural rocks, specimen Japanese maples, hellebores, an apricot tree, dwarf bamboo, and ferns. One of the bed features wave walls, with a plaque and a quote by G.W. Carver.
Along the Eastern woodland border sit three beehives shadowed by brown magnolias. Ferns, mosses, and an assortment of perennials are planted along the border, with stumps and rocks interspersed throughout. A path leads to a large compost pile hidden between the border and brick wall. A fountain repurposed from an antique millstone sits nearby. Another path leads to an 18th century pigeonary filled with ferns.
The backyard, swimming pool, pool house, and pergola are enclosed by a brick wall. A sculpture by Tom Rice is surrounded by a bed of shrubs and perennials. White hydrangea blooms near the perennials and shrubs, interspersed with sculptures and architectural pieces. Border beds surrounding the pool include antique planters filled with succulents, a sculpture by Charlie Hunt, a miniature boxwood collection, and containers of exotic plants. The rear wall of the pool house is trellised with mandevilla vines overlooking a pollinator garden. The pergola near the main house shelters a container garden of succulents and cacti during the warmer summer months. During the winter, the greenhouse is used for housing container plants and growing fennel lettuces, fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Persons associated with the garden include: Stephen Wells (landscape architect, 1999); Lisa Z. Manning (current owner and horticulturist, 2000); Charlie Hunt (sculptor); Keith Merry (ironwork); Tom Rice (sculptor).
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
Archives Center, National Museum of American History Search this
Container:
Box 9
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
undated
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Archives Center Postcard Collection, twentieth century, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
