Washington -- Macomber Garden

Object Details

sova.aag.gca_ref5933

GUID: https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6ccc2892c-dacf-4566-af0f-40eba431b608

General: This 108' x 30' garden is designed to complement the Federal style of its companion house and uses simple straight lines with brick for paths and walls. There are three sitting areas connected by paths that lead back along both sides of a long rill. An evenly spaced line of river birch runs along one wall and across the back. There are no lawns or formal beds, but there is an informal woodland planting of shrubs and perennials. The proportions are elegant and soothing in this urban woodland setting.; Persons associated with the property include: John Williams (former owner, ca. 1806); Isaac Owens (former owner, ca. 1815-1835); William Nicholls (former owner, 1835-1856); William O. Lumsdon and heirs (former owners, 1856-1887); Sallie Jones (former owner, 1887-1903); James Plummer (former owner, 1921-1939); Drew Pearson (former owner, ca. 1930s); John Walker (former owner, 1939-1991); Samuel H. Williamson (landscape architect, 1991-1992); Len Jacoby (gardener, 1992 to date); and Chris Jacoby (gardener, 1992 to date).

Former owner: Williams, John; Nicholls, William; Owens, Isaac; Lumsdon, William; Jones, Sallie; Plummer, James; Pearson, Drew; Walker, John
Landscape architect: Williamson, Samuel H.
Gardener: Jacoby, Len; Jacoby, Chris
Provenance: Georgetown Garden Club
Collection Creator: Garden Club of America

Place: Macomber Garden (Washington, D.C.); United States of America -- District of Columbia -- Washington

Topic: Gardens -- Washington (D.C.)

Former owner: Williams, John; Nicholls, William; Owens, Isaac; Lumsdon, William; Jones, Sallie; Plummer, James; Pearson, Drew; Walker, John
Landscape architect: Williamson, Samuel H.
Gardener: Jacoby, Len; Jacoby, Chris

See more items in: The Garden Club of America collection; The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / District of Columbia

Custodial History: This garden submission was created by a member of the Garden Club of Georgetown in 1999.

Archival Repository: Archives of American Gardens

Identifier: AAG.GCA, File DC041

Type: Archival materials

Collection Citation: Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Collection Rights: Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Scope and Contents: The folder includes a worksheet and a copy of the garden plan.

Collection Restrictions: Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Related Materials: Macomber Garden related holdings consist of 1 folder (21 35 mm. slides)

AAG.GCA_ref5933

Large EAD

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6ccc2892c-dacf-4566-af0f-40eba431b608

AAG.GCA

AAG

Record ID: ebl-1643208220039-1643210178417-0

1 result(s)

The Garden Club of America collection

sova.aag.gca

GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb617385372-1028-4cb7-b07d-04fea2e51c47

Creator

Garden Club of America

Names

New York Flower Show

Topic

Gardens -- France

Gardens -- Italy

Gardens -- Japan

Gardens -- Mexico

Flower shows

Gardening -- United States -- societies, etc

Gardens -- England

Landscape architecture

Gardens -- United States

Gardens -- Spain

Gardens -- Scotland

Creator

Garden Club of America

See more items in

The Garden Club of America collection

Sponsor

A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Summary

The Garden Club of America Collection at the Smithsonian's Archives of American Gardens contains over 100,000 images (lantern slides, 35mm slides, photographs, and digital images) and garden files that document thousands of historic and contemporary gardens (public and private) across the United States. Each garden file includes a range of documentation such as descriptive information, photocopied articles from journals, newspapers, or books, planting lists, correspondence, and/or landscape plans and drawings. These files have been compiled by members of The Garden Club of America (GCA). Some of the gardens in the GCA Collection have been photographed over the course of several decades; others are documented at a single point in time. In addition to images of American gardens, there are glass lantern slides of the New York Flower Show (1941-1951) and trips that GCA members took to other countries, including Mexico (1937), Italy, Spain, Japan (1935), France (1936), England (1929), and Scotland. A number of the slides are copies of historic images from outside repositories including horticultural and historical societies or from horticultural books and publications. The GCA made a concerted effort in the mid-1980s to acquire these images in order to increase its documentation of American garden history. Because of copyright considerations, use of these particular images may be restricted.

Accruals note

The GCA continues to document American gardens and submit images and documentation to the Archives of American Gardens. Further accruals are expected.

Biographical/Historical note

The Garden Club of America was established in 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when the Garden Club of Philadelphia and eleven other garden clubs met to create a national garden club. Its purpose is to foster the knowledge and love of gardening and to restore and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and gardening and conservation efforts. The GCA was incorporated in Delaware in 1923, with its headquarters established in New York City. Today, local clubs are organized under twelve regional zones. The GCA continues its tradition of hosting flower shows and publishing material related to gardening in the United States. The GCA's glass lantern slides were used by The GCA for presentations and lectures about notable gardens throughout the United States dating back to colonial times. An effort was made in the late 1980s, in preparation of the 75th anniversary of the Garden Club of America's founding, to collect the disbursed slides. These slides were to eventually form the Slide Library of Notable American Parks and Gardens. The informational value of this collection is extensive since a number of images of the more than 4,500 gardens represented show garden designs that have changed over time or no longer exist. While the majority of images document a range of designed upper and upper-middle class gardens throughout the U.S., the scope of the collection is expanding as volunteers photograph and document contemporary gardens including community and vernacular gardens. The gardens illustrate the design work of dozens of landscape architects including Marian Coffin, Beatrix Farrand, Lawrence Halprin, Hare & Hare, Umberto Innocenti, Gertrude Jekyll, Jens Jensen, Warren Manning, the Olmsted Brothers, Charles Platt, Ellen Biddle Shipman, and Fletcher Steele. Because of their proximity to the gardens, works of notable architects and sculptors may also be featured in the images.

Extent

37000 Slides (photographs) (35mm slides)

33 Linear feet ((garden files))

3,000 Lantern slides

Date

circa 1920-present

Custodial History note

The GCA's Slide Library of Notable American Parks and Gardens was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1992; this became the core collection of the Archives of American Gardens.

Archival Repository

Archives of American Gardens

Identifier

AAG.GCA

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Slides (photographs)

Lantern slides

Plans (drawings)

Brochures

Articles

Correspondence

Clippings

Citation

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Rights

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Genre/Form

Plans (drawings)

Brochures

Articles

Correspondence

Clippings

Lantern slides

Slides (photographs)

Restrictions

Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

AAG.GCA

Large EAD

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb617385372-1028-4cb7-b07d-04fea2e51c47

AAG.GCA

AAG

Record ID

ebl-1562776092361-1562776095300-0