FREDERICK OLMSTED
G'day folks,
Welcome to the life of an interesting character. Frederick Law Olmsted was an American landscape architect,
journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is popularly
considered to be the father of American landscape architecture.
Today,
the name of Frederick Law Olmsted is closely associated with
Central Park. As a designer, he helped create the layout and look of the park;
as superintendent, he taught visitors how to use the new space. But it took a
series of fortunate events for Olmsted to end up working on Central Park, and
for his plans for the spot to become reality. To celebrate his birthday, here
are five facts regarding Olmsted and his instrumental involvement with the
birth of Central Park.
A Man in Search of a Job
In the
summer of 1857, 35-year-old Frederick Law Olmsted desperately needed money (the
economy was in bad shape, he had been part of a failed publishing venture and
he was in debt to family and friends). One day in August, while taking tea at
an inn in Morris Cove, Connecticut, he happened to learn that the Central Park
board, which was overseeing plans to build a park in the middle of New York
City, was looking for a superintendent at a salary of $3,000/year. Olmsted
quickly decided to apply for the position.
Olmsted's
past experience — he'd been a farmer, yet had more recently worked in
journalism and publishing — didn't make him a shoo-in as superintendent, but
his application had other strengths. Powerful men in New York, including James
Alexander Hamilton (son of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton) and writer Washington Irving, offered their support. And because Olmsted was a
Republican who lacked strong political ties, he was acceptable to both
Republicans and Democrats.
Olmsted was named as superintendent in
September 1857 — but at a salary that was half what he'd initially expected.
However, the pay cut didn't keep him from accepting the position. In a letter,
he admitted to his brother, "On the whole, as the times are, I shall think
myself fortunate if I can earn $1500."
Beginning of a Beautiful Partnership
As
superintendent, Olmsted oversaw the draining and clearing necessary to
transform a swampy and rocky 770-acre site into more manageable land. He did
his job well, but it had nothing to do with park design. In fact, Olmsted only
began to consider designing Central Park thanks to architect Calvert Vaux.
Vaux convinced the park board to hold a design
competition, then asked Olmsted to collaborate with him on a submission. This
invitation wasn't because Vaux had somehow discerned what would turn out to be
Olmsted's prodigious talent for landscape design — instead, Vaux knew that as
superintendent, Olmsted would have a wealth of topographical information to
offer (the topographical map that design contestants were supposed to work with
was reportedly inaccurate).
Olmsted's
supervisor, Egbert Viele, had submitted a design, so Olmsted was hesitant about
entering the competition. But when he broached the subject with his supervisor,
Viele made it clear that he wasn't worried about Olmsted; Olmsted therefore
agreed to partner with Vaux.
The Best Design
Because
they both had day jobs — Olmsted as park superintendent, Vaux at his
architectural firm — the pair had to collaborate at night and on weekends. The
competition's closing date was April 1, 1858, and they worked up until the very
last minute; in fact, their submission, which was called Greensward, was handed
in after the deadline (but fortunately still accepted).
Greensward
offered winding paths and groves of trees intended to make the rectangular
Central Park site more enticing. It also contained an ingenious solution for
traffic that needed to cross the park: sunken roadways that would leave
parkgoers undisturbed. The 33 designs in the competition were of varying
interest and quality — one plan wanted meadows shaped in the form of the
world's continents, while another submission was nothing more than a drawing of
a pyramid — but Greensward was in a class by itself. It won first prize.
Vaux and
Olmsted had fully partnered on the design. However, it was Olmsted who was
named architect-in-chief of Central Park in May 1858 — though it was Vaux, not
Olmsted, who was the actual architect. Olmsted got the promotion as he was
already in place as superintendent, and would be the one to supervise most of
the work in the park. Vaux was given the title of Olmsted's assistant.
The design win and the position of
architect-in-chief didn't mean that Olmsted and Greensward had a smooth path
ahead. Soon two wealthy and powerful commissioners on the Central Park board —
Robert Dillon and August Belmont — came up with a few design
"improvements." One called for the creation of a straight promenade,
Cathedral Avenue, that would run almost the entire length of the park.
Cathedral
Avenue upended Olmsted and Vaux's design, as the long tree-lined street would
destroy their vision of a separate green oasis in the city (which was a
desperate need — at the time, poorer citizens had to visit cemeteries when they
wanted recreational space). But Dillon and Belmont were accustomed to getting
what they wanted. They took out advertisements in favor of their changes, which
began to receive positive attention.
Fortunately,
Olmsted still had connections to New York City's newsmen, and showed some of
them how the proposed alterations would destroy his design. The writers and
editors who were convinced voiced their support in print; one wrote about
Greensward, "It is not only so beautiful in its grand outlines and its
details, but so complete, symmetrical, and consistent with itself, that it can
hardly be changed in any essential point." Though there would be smaller
alterations, the tide of public attention turned, and overall the Olmsted/Vaux
plan was safe.
A Park for All the People
From the
moment Central Park first opened for ice skating on December 11, 1858, it was a
hit with the public. And while Olmsted was glad that people liked the park, he
also wanted park visitors to follow some guidelines. He'd once noted, "A
large part of the people of New York are ignorant of a park.... They will need
to be trained in the proper use of it and be restrained in the abuse of
it."
To
accomplish this, Olmsted posted hundreds of signs for visitors (forbidding
actions such as throwing stones, annoying birds and picking flowers or leaves).
He also assembled a force of park keepers. These keepers were taught to
interact respectfully with the public, while still enforcing park rules; to
make it expressly clear that they were not part of the regular city police
force, they sported gray uniforms instead of blue.
Under
Olmsted's guiding hand, Central Park succeeded in becoming a locale where all
members of society were welcome. As he'd wanted, it offered "healthful
recreation for the poor and the rich, the young and the old, the vicious and
the virtuous." And if he were to see his park today, Olmsted would find
that it's still a beloved spot where New Yorkers and visitors alike can enjoy
themselves.
Clancy's comment: One of the most interesting park's I've ever visited, and a great place to observe people and take photographs.
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