OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS 



109 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON TRAVELING EXHIBIT 



October 2, 1922. 



In 1920 the Board of Trustees appointed a 

 Committee to assemble an exhibition of work 

 by members of the Society, and arrangements 

 were made with the American Federation of 

 Arts by the Chairman, Mr. Stephen Child, to 

 have them take over and handle the exhibition 

 after it was finally assembled. When Mr. 

 Steele was appointed chairman in July, 1920, 

 with Miss Coffin, Mr. Caparn and Mr. Whiting 

 as committee members, active measures to- 

 ward assembling an exhibit had been started 

 and under way for some time. Although mem- 

 bers had long been circularized, asking for 

 photographs of their work which could be 

 used for the purpose, nothing had been re- 

 ceived. 



Repeated efforts made during the following 

 year in writing and often by the Chairman in 

 person brought results from a comparatively 

 small number of the members. It was like 

 pulling teeth to get action from anybody. The 

 committee was most grateful to all who sent 

 in the material from which the exhibition was 

 the final result. 



The committee had previously determined 

 that this exhibit should be composed entirely 

 of photographs of domestic work, as it be- 

 lieved that the appeal of this side of profes- 

 sional endeavor was special and that other 

 phases deserved a separate exhibit which 

 should follow in due time. It had also de- 

 termined that the presentation should be uni- 

 form in the quality and technical finish of the 

 photographs. These standards were main- 

 tained very much to the advantage of the show 

 as it finally appeared. 



In the interest of harmonious treatment and 

 in hope of covering ground that would not 

 otherwise be photographed, the committee 

 urged that the members engage Mr. E. Crosby 

 Doughty of Williamstown to take their pho- 

 tographs. Weather conditions all that sum- 

 mer were unsatisfactory for photography, but 

 Mr. Doughty submitted a large number of 

 prints which were used. In addition several 

 members furnished their own photographs. 



The final selection was made with an idea 

 of getting as much variety in subject as might 

 be. While the work of individuals and firms 

 was grouped as much as possible, yet when 



illustration of the subject matter seemed to 

 make it desirable, the committee did not hesi- 

 tate to break up such groups in order to lay 

 emphasis on problems of design rather than on 

 the name of the designer. Thus drives, wild 

 gardens, entrances, etc., were assembled as far 

 as reasonably could be done. 



The photographs were mounted on light 

 wooden backs, matted with card-board and 

 protected by thin celluloid. The mounts fitted 

 into specially made trunks. Each board was 

 numbered and each photograph given a brief 

 caption to draw attention to specific points in 

 landscape design which it illustrated. It 

 would have been impossible to get this work 

 so expeditiously done without the very active 

 services of Edward C. Whiting of Olmsted 

 Brothers who made it possible to do the 

 mounting in the office of his firm with the as- 

 sistance of his office force. 



Those photographs showing the work of 

 New England members were first seen at a 

 joint exhibition with the Boston Society of 

 .A.rchitccts in February. The whole was hung 

 as the official exhibit of the American Society 

 of Landscape Architects with the Architectural 

 League Exhibition held in the new wing of 

 the Metropolitan Museum, New York, in April. 

 Then, according to an arrangement which had 

 been previously made by Mr. Stephen Child, with 

 the .American Federation of Arts, the latter 

 took over its complete control, insurance, 

 routing and exhibiting throughout the coun- 

 try. This relieved us of a difficult, even in- 

 superable task. It has been seen in a number 

 of places and is always well received. 



The exhibit was frankly far less good than 

 had been originally hoped for by the commit- 

 tee. It was less good than it might have been 

 if the committee had sweated over it for two 

 or five years instead of one. But we had en- 

 gaged to have it out by a certain date for the 

 Federation of Arts, and this had to be done. 

 It is to be hoped that a similar and better ex- 

 hibit will he arranged in the future. But be- 

 fore that is done, it is exceedingly important 

 that the Society should prepare an exhibit 

 showing other branches of the work including 

 city planning and park design, which should 

 be used for public education in the subjects 

 and as a means of showing the extensive aid 



