ROBINSON, W(illiam).   GARDEN DESIGN AND ARCHITECT'S GARDENS.   Two reviews, illustrated, to show, by actual examples from British gardens, that clipping and aligning trees to make them `harmonise' with architecture is barbarous, needless, and inartistic.       London: John Murray,   1892.          First Edition. Frederick Law Olmsted's copy with his bookplate and with a presentation inscription to him from Robinson: "Frederick Law Olmstead (sic) / with the authors sincere & best regards / Souvenir of Gravetye / August 11th 1892." A wonderful association copy bearing witness to the friendship of two of the most important figures in the history of gardens and landscape architecture. The book itself is a polemic openly directed at Reginald Blomfield's FORMAL GARDEN IN ENGLAND and John D. Sedding's GARDEN CRAFT OLD AND NEW. It contains Robinson's characteristic and unrestrained attack against formal gardens, topiary and the meddling of architects in the laying out of gardens, illustrated with serene and finely executed wood-engravings of exemplary English gardens. Robinson's viewpoint was partially shared by Olmsted, who visited with Robinson at Gravetye during August of 1892, only a few months after the book's publication. It was almost certainly the occasion for Olmsted's receipt of this copy. During his travels in England that year Olmsted was highly disappointed with the ornate and unnatural fussiness of many gardens he saw. By contrast, he did admire much of what Robinson had done at Gravetye and sent him several ornamental American trees to plant there. At the time of Olmsted's visit the two had long been friends, and the present volume is a fitting memento of that friendship.   8vo (23.8 x 14.7 cm); xviii + 73 + (1) pp. with 7 text illustrations + 20 wood-engraved plates.            Original cloth, very light shelfwear, some fading and a spot or two, but a very well preserved copy. $700.00

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