Lantern Slides of Gardens

"House of Usefulness" schoolhouse, National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio. Window box.

Abbey Goes Design Scouting recently wrote about this wonderful collection of hand colored lantern slides from photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864-1952) which are held by the Library of Congress.  These were originally used for garden lectures and many of them are of grand estates or public places, depicting more formal gardens, but my favorites are of the smaller, more personal, less manicured gardens.

Ruth Bramley Dean house, 150 East 61st Street, New York, New York. Garden bench.

"Thornewood," Chester Thorne house, Lakewood, Washington. View to house from flower garden.

"Willowmere," Rear Admiral Aaron Ward house, 435 Bryant Avenue, Roslyn Harbor, New York Iris beds.

 

"Willowmere," Rear Admiral Aaron Ward house, 435 Bryant Avenue, Roslyn Harbor, New York. Spring bulbs.

"Près Choisis," Albert Herter house, Georgica Pond, East Hampton, New York. Blue and white garden terrace.

Turtle Bay Gardens, 227-247 East 48 Street and 228-46 East 49 Street, New York, New York View east to common garden.

There is an accompanying book to this collection called Gardens for a Beautiful America: 1895-1935.