Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. is considered the greatest landscape architect who ever lived. Noted for his work on Central Park, the Emerald Necklace in Boston, and the “White City” of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Olmsted created and co-designed countless public and private landscapes throughout North America. His sons carried on in his aftermath, working on state and county park systems and our National Parks. Olmsted’s eldest son, John Charles Olmsted, left a considerable imprint on the park systems of Portland, Seattle and Spokane along with numerous public and private academic campuses throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the historic center of the Whitman College campus.
Join BMLT to enjoy a PBS film on Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr., with anecdotes on his life and career that was inundated with numerous endeavors and accomplishments across multiple disciplines. After the film, Laurence Cotton, a public historian and author, will expand on the film’s content through a presentation that will showcase why Olmsted should be considered one of the founders of the conservation and nature preservation movement in the United States. Laurence will also detail the legacy of Olmsted’s two sons, John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
For more information about this event, please contact Alexandra James at alex@bmlt.org or 509-525-3136.
Your Host
Laurence Cotton, Public historian, writer, and producer
More information: Laurence Cotton originated this film project, which included the preliminary research necessary in addition to serving as the film’s Consulting Producer. The film was directed and produced by Lawrence Hott of Florentine Films/Hott Productions.