The mansion along with its magnificent furnishings, art, gardens, and the owners' striving, hubris, and ultimate failure are the dramatis personae of this saga. Stanford White, the architect, wrote, "with the exception of Biltmore, I do not think there will be an estate equal to it in the country." An extravagant product of the desire for social acceptance, the portrait encompasses western mining and old versus new wealth, religious differences and the building of a church, art collecting, and the many people, from the architects, builders, and workers to the servants and staff who ran the...
The mansion along with its magnificent furnishings, art, gardens, and the owners' striving, hubris, and ultimate failure are the dramatis personae of ...
Although individually and collectively Americans have many histories, the dominant view of our national past focuses on the colonial era. The reasons for this are many and complex, touching on stories of the country's origins and of the founding fathers, the privileged position in history granted the thirteen original colonies, and the ways in which the nation has adjusted to change and modernity. But no matter the cause, the result is obvious: images and forms derived from and related to America's colonial past are the single most popular form of cultural expression.
Often conceived...
Although individually and collectively Americans have many histories, the dominant view of our national past focuses on the colonial era. The reaso...
The Mount, Edith Wharton's country place in the Berkshires, is truly an autobiographical house. There Wharton wrote some of her best-known and successful novels, including "Ethan Frome "and "House of Mirth." The house itself, completed in 1902, embodies principles set forth in Wharton's famous book "The Decoration of Houses," and the surrounding landscape displays her deep knowledge of Italian gardens. Wandering the grounds of this historic home, one can see the influence of Wharton's inimitable spirit in its architecture and design, just as one can sense the Mount's impact on the...
The Mount, Edith Wharton's country place in the Berkshires, is truly an autobiographical house. There Wharton wrote some of her best-known and success...
This diverse new collection of essays, written by scholars, practitioners, and public-land managers, considers the history of public park design, as well as the parks themselves as repositories of cultural values.
In exploring the role design has played in these public spaces, the contributors look not only at noticeably planned, often urban, landscapes such as Central Park or Boston's Back Bay Fens but also at parks such as Yosemite with naturally occurring scenic qualities, which require less development. The essays present design as encompassing not simply a park's...
This diverse new collection of essays, written by scholars, practitioners, and public-land managers, considers the history of public park design, a...
