The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-20
WOMEN WHO
WIN IN TRADE
Marian Cruger Collin, Landscape
Architect.
BY ISABEL STEPHEN.
Architect.

Scapo architecture has been Followed
by many women In tho past few years,
there only two women members
| OF the American Society of Landscape
Architects who arc practicing land
! scapists-Miss Marian Cruger Collin
and Miss Bcatrix Jones. to whom be-
! Tho profession is surrounded By n
glamour that appeals 10 all women
who are fond of outdoor life, but tho
very hard ana strenuous work that is
necessary for success soon weeds out
all those who enter the field with an
idea that landscape gardening is only
= pretty romantic career.
! The work OF Miss Coffin, WHO Is OF
New York birth, is widely known, and
In an Interview last week, she gave
most interesting account Of her wor!.
and the preparation necessary for
successful career III this limo.
Landscape gardening Is n compare.
lively new profession for women" sh0
SAID. and people do not realize tho
amount OF time and money that is
necessary for the fundamental knowl-
edge required ] am bcsiegcd by APP
plications of girls who imagine that
they would make good as landscape
gardeners. but they don't want to put
IN tho years of hard work necessary
Tor preparation.
Il have a friend who has gone into
landscape gardening. No, She hasn't
studied. but she thought she would like
the work. | havo often heard people
say and l wonder wha, sort OF work
she Is doing. For to be a landscape
architect one must have n knowledge
OF architecture. engineering and OF
course, horticulture. with taste ana
good executive ability.
The landscapist shares with the
architect the designing Of homes, fits
the part called the house to the sur
rounding parts. plans tho necessary
approaches and works out such appro-
pirate changes in the surrounding
scene as hei taste and experience sug-
gest She must thoroughly understand
engineering that she may be able TO
know the meaning of n boundary and
Typographical survey, how 10 lay out a
road and work up the profiles and
cross sections Of IL, how TO calculate
quantities for grades, plan excavations,
4 etc.
II went to the Massachusetts Insti-
tute OF Technology In Boston, whcre L
received "A very good preparation. !
! studied all these SUBJECTS Tor three
years. When | lett there | wanted 10
! go Into mans Office 10 get experience,
but did not find Il man willing ~
! take me. So l just had 10 start out for
/ myself Women urc handicapped III
| ,his WAY, Tor men do not take womcns
| interest in the WORK seriously. But In
! a way il Is an advantage, for she
! learns 10 stand alone ana take the
! initiative
Il rented nj office and sent cards to
all my friends. The first work | got
came through the suggestion of Miss
Jones from Guy Lowci, who has Just
won the competition for the city court
house Gradually my clientele in
creased. People who liked my work
told their frienus about It, But il takes
time for reputation TO grow, and until
you have a reputation people Will not
trust you with large thIngs. In land-
scapc architecture people huvc to trust
you. 1t is not like painting II portrait
where your patron sees the work
growing before his eyes; nor like tho
architects work in building the house
which can be finished in compara-
lively short space OF time. 1t takes
years TO develop country estate and
the construction and grading OF ground
cost SO much before people SEQ any re
suits.
My work takes me all tho way from
! New England 10 the far West 1t ia
necessary nrst 10 so and look at tho
! estate and sec what lis tho best way TO
develop II, / never go with any pre-
| conceived idea. Then work out a
I plan Tor the place which viii make 1t
us beautiful az possible. l cannot OF
/ course, create n magnificent view, but
can plant beautiful screens ana back
! grounds that wlli be Interesting at all
seasons OF the year. | have 10 90 this
! with ;tn eye on the owners DocketbooE
! but 1T is just as fascinating for me 10
/ work out The garden OF Il suburban
homo as ii Is TO transform some largo
estate.
AT present l am developing an old
| place III hentucky, which had gone to
rack and rum. AIMS place has an old
| fashioned Colonial house with separate
slave quarters. WIN halt mile en-
trance drive 1t IS a question here OF
keeping the spirit of the house in ac-
! cora with the reconstruction. | ar
rived from there this morning and had
! worked up to The last minute before the
! train lett. Immediately on arrival
7 htic had TO attend TO my work which
had accumulated In my absence and
i prepare Tor trip in the opposite dl-
itction n landscape architect must
have great physical endurance, for she
! must be able TO supervise many places
~ once and be continually on the go
during the rush seasons OF sprinE and
aueumn. ono OF The places on Long
Island on which am working at pres
ont Is quito unusual. The owners Sc
! location, and they engaged mo TO so
arrange thu grounds with the native
/ iie.s. shrubs ana wild mowers as II the
| house had been placed among them.
This is an informal garden and will be
very interesting as well as uncommon.
"Other people want formal grounds
with lawns. orchards. etc. one of my
most interesting places Is an estate
! down in Kentucky which embraces
wooded hills Hero II is question OF
setting tho house In the best location
and getting the ground in good rela-
ton TO the house, arranging place for
garage. entrance avenues. etc
ut is most interesting work, one day
working on tho rugged coast Of Now
England. the next speeding down TO
superntcnd the work on some place
down South, or out Wost.
Women have little chance in com
peting for public places because poll
tics has muck influence in the granting
OF a contract by the city, but there is
plenty of private work for the women
who can do 1t. However, no woman
should enter this work who has no
floating capital. She must be imam
cially Independent before she Gan start
|