THESIS: PLANS FOR THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS OF A RURAL…

(Original photographs)

THESIS: PLANS FOR THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS OF A RURAL HOME.

Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University, 1903. An interesting original photo-illustrated typed manuscript presented for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and Forestry at Ohio State University. Asserting that "the one who takes the most interest in home surrounding lays the best foundation for other undertakings," Long proposes solutions to making a country home where no previous improvements exist and discusses, to a lesser extent, conditions where old improvements are in need of change and improvement. His chapters cover: selecting the site (for convenience and beauty); laying out the grounds and arranging the buildings (outbuilding the neighbors is "an unworthy motive"); planning the country residence (convenience, beauty, economy of space and durability); grading and general improvements (re-use excavated soil and aim for luxuriant lawn and shrubbery); planting trees and shrubs (plant common trees of the forest rather than "puffed up varieties of catalogs" and plant with an eye to the vista); designing walks, drives and entrances (no right angles!) improving older homes (the lawn is of paramount importance). Following the text are nine full-page original photographs mounted on heavy stock with text opposite offering commentary. Long considers these as supplementary to his thesis. Figure 1 is a perfectly planted lawn with a woman in turn-of-the century dress holding a basket of flowers; Figure 2 displays successful street planting and a horse-drawn carriage; Figure 3 is a tree and shrub planting on small grounds; Figure 4 shows planting as background and protection; Figure 5 demonstrates planting for a "cozy corner" with two figures in period dress; Figure 6 - the placement of a large home within the grounds; Figure 7 - a well-planted lawn sweeping around to the rear of the house; Figure 8 is the scene at Figure 1 from a different viewpoint; Figure 9 reveals the open effect created by continuing planting around the house. These amateur photographs have great appeal and certainly demonstrate widely applied principles which created much of the middle class residential American landscape at the turn of the century. Bound typed manuscript, 27 x 21 cm, 28 unnumbered pp. with text typed (or mimeographed) on rectos only + 9 plates of original photographs, measuring 12 x 15.7 cm, with 9 ff. opposite providing typed commentary; a few tissue guards to photos removed, but laid in at front.

Bound in blue buckram with gilt lettered and decorated leather title piece pasted down on upper cover; tissue guards removed from three of the photographs, but kept and laid into the book; a few of the photographs show some spots from development process and there is occasional light fading, mostly along edges; otherwise very well preserved.

Book ID: 16007
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