An exhibition at the Villa Terrace Decorative Art Museum celebrating Frederick Law Olmsted on the 200th anniversary of his birth features a number of rare maps and books and a photograph from the UWM Libraries’ American Geographical Society Library (AGSL).
Olmsted (1822-1903), often called “the father of landscape architecture,” is perhaps most famous for co-designing, with Calvert Vaux, New York City’s Central Park. His many projects during a long and distinguished career included three in Milwaukee: Lake Park, Riverside Park, and Washington Park.
Among the AGSL materials loaned to the exhibit, “In the Park with Olmsted: A Vision for Milwaukee,” are a photograph by Eadweard Muybridge, “Valley of the Yosemite from Mariposa Trail, no. 3” (1872); a map by Increase Lapham, “Ancient Works in the Vicinity of Milwaukee” (1855); and several books by Olmsted, including Walks and Talks of an American Farmer in England (1859).
AGSL is one of the premier libraries of its kind in North America, containing over 1.5 million items supporting instruction, research and outreach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and around the world. More information about this world renowned cartography and geography library can be found here.
“In the Park with Olmsted” runs through September 25 at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, 2220 N. Terrace Ave., Milwaukee.