World's Fair Gardens: Shaping American Landscapes
It is no secret that world's fairs exerted a powerful influence on architectural styles and building techniques. What is less well known is that these spectacles of modernity had an equally powerful impact on the way Americans thought about landscapes and gardens.World's Fair Gardensis an original work that foregrounds an important and long-neglected subject.(Robert W. Rydell, Montana State University)It is a pleasure to encounter a design-history book written so clearly. This is an original, substantial, and eminently sensible contribution to the history of landscape architecture, gardening, and allied disciplines. From a very broad range of subjects (a great many world’s fairs), the author selects a handful that illustrate the progression of design, plant-material choices, contemporaneous criticism, and visitor evaluation.(John Stilgoe, Harvard University)Maloney, of Riverside, traces in detail the history and influence of fairs from 1976 in Philadelphia to 1939 in New York.(Chicago Tribune)"Very well produced with a sophisticated design," notes W. Gary Smith of this book, which offers a unique view of garden history through the lens of nine U.S. world’s fairs. It chronicles each event’s "impact on not only the landscaping and city planning of the host city but also on national gardening practices and landscapes," says Brandy Kuhl. "It’s a must-read for those interested in the history of American landscape design."(American Horticultural Society website)Well-researched and enjoyable, World's Fair Gardens preserves some of the most significant horticultural milestones and marvels - many of which are reflected in gardens of today - of the past for new generations to appreciate.(The American Gardener magazine)In today’s linked world, new ideas speed around the globe at a fantastic rate, regional differences are losing their sharpness, and international events all seem to share the same homogenous corporate veneer. Editor and author Maloney (Chicago Gardens: The Early History) chronicles a time when international exhibitions such as world’s fairs were crucibles of innovation. It’s hard to imagine any single event being so influential today. Those interested in the history of American landscape design will find Maloney’s tour an illuminating guide.(Publishers Weekly)