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TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY 



with artists of other classes, and with editors 

 and other outsiders. All those whom we have 

 approached have shown willingness to meet 

 us half way, to sympathize with our ideals and 

 aid in their accomplishment. Artists in par- 

 ticular, have shown their willingness to fra- 

 ternize. It is merely necessary to show that 

 we have something worth while to contribute 

 to the common cause of art to be welcomed 

 into the fellow^ship. More especially has this 

 been brought about through the Architectural 

 League in which one or more of our members 

 have been active for the past fourteen years, 

 during all of which time there has been one 

 of us on the Executive Committee. Land- 

 scape work now has a definite place of its own 

 in the exhibition, and the medal in landscape 

 architecture, due to the efforts of Ferruccio 

 Vitale, has established this beyond peradven- 

 ture. Our membership in the Fine Arts Fed- 

 eration also has helped a good deal. It will be 

 clear from what follows that the New York 

 Chapter has pursued consistently, if intermit- 

 tently, a policy of seeking contact with those 

 in other walks of life with (it is believed) 

 mutual advantage and resultant publicity for 

 our Chapter and our art. 



Chronological record of outstanding events: 



The New York Chapter was actually or- 

 ganized in the office of Ferruccio Vitale, and 

 James L. Greenleaf was chosen President. 

 The first meeting was held at the Transpor- 

 tation Club in the old Manhattan Hotel (where 

 many meetings of the A. S. L. A. were held). 

 Mr. Greenleaf began his term of office by urg- 

 ing those essentials of success in such a body 

 as ours, good fellowship and loyalty to each 

 other and to the A. S. L. A. The Constitu- 

 tion and By-Laws (drawn up by H. A. Cap- 

 arn) were adopted, and standing committees 

 on Parks, Publicity and Entertainment ap- 

 pointed. Annual dues were fixed at $10 for 

 Fellows and $5 for Juniors. 



The Committee on Parks has always l)een 

 watchful and was able to exert a not incon- 

 sideral)Ie influence on park affairs, at least 

 when the city landscape architect was a mem- 

 ber of the Chapter. 



Subsequently, the Schedule of Practice and 

 Charges (drawn up by H. A. Caparn) was 

 adopted. 



In 1915 the Chapter was admitted to mem- 

 bership in the Fine Arts Federation, which is 

 a convention of delegates from the principal 

 artistic societies of New York City, whose 



chief function is to nominate candidates from 

 whom the Mayor selects the members of the 

 City Art Commission. Before applying for 

 admission, enough members of the Federation 

 were sounded (by H. A. Caparn) to make it 

 practically certain that our entry would be 

 welcome. This, as well as other dealings, as 

 a body, with outsiders, appears to show the 

 great popularity of our Art. 



In the summer of 1915 there was a meeting 

 and visit to the Essex County Parks, New 

 Jersey, laid out by C. N. Lowrie. 



Ferruccio Vitale was elected President for 

 1916-1917. January 25th was the date of a 

 notable dinner at the Hotel Brevoort at which 

 were present Miss Gertrude Kasebier, photog- 

 rapher, Messrs. Lionel Moses, W. A. Boring, 

 C. Grant LaFarge, W. Rutherford Mead, archi- 

 tects, Frank P. Fairbanks, painter, and Her- 

 liert Adams and D. C. French, sculptors. 



On March 15th was given another dinner 

 with a number of guests, mostly connected 

 with the Park Department. 



In December a cup was purchased by the 

 Chapter to be presented at the Annual Flower 

 Show to the nurseryman or florist giving the 

 best exhibition of plants according to specifi- 

 cations of the New York Chapter. 



On February 6th, a dinner was given to the 

 members of the Bronx Parkway Commission 

 followed by description of the work on the 

 Parkway, with slides. 



On March 6th, there was a dinner with 

 guests. Professors William A. Boring, of Co- 

 lumbia; E. Gorton Davis, of Cornell; and 

 Laurie D. Cox, of Syracuse; and A. W. Cowell, 

 of Pennsylvania State College. A lengthy dis- 

 cussion on the subject of Education followed. 

 Charles N. Lowrie was President during 

 1918-1919. For most of 1917-1918 the war ab- 

 sorbed a great deal of the thought and energy 

 of most people and the activities of the New 

 ^'ork Chapter were mostly directed towards 

 Peace with Victory. There were only such 

 meetings as were necessary to support the 

 War Garden movement and to keep the Chap- 

 ter together. 



Later the Chapter took up the subjects of 

 War Memorials, Housing, the relations of the 

 landscape architect with contractors and nurs- 

 erymen. At the meeting of February 5, 1918, 

 Dr. T. J. Headloc. State Entomologist of New 

 Jersey was the principal guest, and war gar- 

 dens were discussed. 



.^t the annual meeting of December 19th, H. 



