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Frederick Law Olmsted

@thefredolmsted

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Father of American Landscape Architecture | Journalist | Conservationist | Nature Enthusiast 🌲

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Here I will illumine you to why I believe that nature is a public service that should be available to all.
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During the 1850s, I was under assignment from the New York Daily Times to inform its Northern writers on the current state of the South. War was brewing, everyone knew it, and I suspect the northern public was curious as to what life was like the slave economy. I was not prepared for what I witnessed. The unspeakable conditions in which slaves were kept and the rudimentary economy based upon slavery that the South defended disgusted me. I became an abolitionist and a believer that The United States of America needed a more egalitarian society.
What better way to accomplish this than through a park? While political action is acceptable to accomplish social reform, it is my opinion that a park is more permanent and stands as a lasting monument to encourage social equality of all people. I remember when Central Park was opening. In those days, the trains ran on time, usually. I wanted everyone in New York City to enjoy this public space, not just the wealthy. I sent pamphlets to every neighborhood in the city with directions to the park using public transportation. I wanted everyone to enjoy this new gathering place. The mixing of different people is necessary to improve society. Why would I create a space filled with beautiful nature if only a few could enjoy it? I want people of different circumstances to come together in a park, interact with each other, and not become consumed by hatred and division. I saw what those two forces can create, and I hope I will never see such pain again.
Sincerely,
Frederick Law Olmsted

#equality #nature #landscape #landscapedesign #park #centralpark
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Maria Nettgen
Sources:

Nicholson, Carol J. “Elegance and Grass Roots: The Neglected Philosophy of Frederick Law Olmsted.” JSTOR, Transactions of the Clares S. Piece Society, Vol. 40, No. 2 pp. 335-348. Indiana University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40320995 . Accessed 12 Nov. 2018. by @thefredolmsted

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