90th Anniversary Garden Path by Bok Tower Gardens

THE DREAM TEAM

CONSERVATION THROUGH THE DECADES

SINGING BRONZE

A Legacy of American Art

Committed to a More Beautiful World

The Soul of the Carillon

Volume 12 Issue 1 Winter 2019

EDWARD BOK’S GIFT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CELEBRATING 90 YEARS OF HISTORY

Volume 12 Issue 1 Winter 2019

David Price President

Erica Smith, DBA Jaime Fogel Editors

James Albo Caley Curchy

Letter from the President

Graphic Designers

Editorial Contributors Joseph Cunningham, PhD Elizabeth Hope Cushing, PhD Jaime Fogel Marilyn Knowlton Max Lindsey Tricia Martin Cheryl L. Peterson David Price Melissa Roth-Giffen Melissa Tyrone Richard Guy Wilson, PhD

Photo Contributors James Albo Max Lindsey Cheryl Peterson

Mission

To inspire a better and more beautiful world by sharing Edward Bok’s legacy.

Vision

To reach out in beauty to the people, and fill their souls with the quiet, the repose, the influence of the beautiful.

This spring, we began celebrating our 90th Anniversary. Created on a brilliant concept and executed by the finest designers and craftsmen of the time, the Gardens has been maintained over the decades by the work of dedicated staff, volunteers, board members, supporters, members, and the American public. The Gardens has evolved to maintain, in what former President Jonathan Shaw said of our 60th anniversary, a “lively, healthy, future-oriented expression of the vision of Edward Bok.” The Gardens started as a 14.5-acre experiment by Edward Bok with his goal to create a sanctuary for man and bird. He wrote “This planting was to be, in character, Floridian, and largely to consist of bushes with berries suitable for the trans migratory birds.” The plants selected to grow were native and transplanted from nearby lowlands. As they flourished, the Gardens expanded. More land was purchased to provide a natural buffer from the outside world and as Edward Bok described, “insure this quiet from the horn of the automobile”. As the gardens grew to 50 acres, Bok wanted to inspire all with beauty and blooming plants added to achieve “the color of azaleas to enliven every path.” Remarkably, 8000 azaleas were planted to provide a riot of color to celebrate the arrival of spring. “The purpose for it all? Simply to preach the gospel and influence of beauty,” Edward Bok wrote eloquently describing his big ideas. A place where a visitor “tired and exhausted from the world” can find himself again. He created a place for the “student of southern plant and animal life.” When asked why was this done in Florida and not in the North, Bok provided “Because there is nowhere in the North a spot which is destined to be preserved for so many years in its present sylvan simplicity and beauty.” As we look to the future of the Gardens, the same timeless ideas that shaped our beginning continue to resonate in the priorities before us. Those priorities are spreading the gospel of the beautiful with horticulture as art, using Florida native plants to encourage wildlife, enhancing the visitor experience, preserving land for the restoration of high pine forests, and to be a place of experiential learning. It is inspiring that the proposition that started the Gardens are still relevant today and represent the best of what we are. Celebrate with us as we honor our achievements and look ahead to the future.

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David Price, President March 2019

Life gets busy! Make it a bit easier with membership auto renew.

With auto renew, you can avoid lapses in your membership and renewal notices in your mailbox. It’s easy to set up and automatically debits your credit or debit card each year on your renewal date. When renewing or joining online or via postal mail, simply click the “Renew this membership automatically when it expires” button. The card you use for that transaction will be secured by our credit card processing service and charged on your renewal date for at the same level and term. You can cancel your auto renewal at any time. Call the Philanthropy & Membership team at 863-734-1226 or email philanthropy@boktower.org for assistance.

made easy

Membership

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08 19 03

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13 09 Behind the Brass Door Do you support Bok Tower Gardens as a Donor level member or higher? If so, RSVP now for our popular Founder’s Room Tours. A celebration of nature by the master artisans who created the Tower, the Founder’s Room offers a breathtaking peek behind the Great Brass Door. Tours are available by invitation only to members at the donor level and above. Tours are available on April 13 and May 9 and space is limited. RSVP at philanthropy@boktower.org or 863-734-1226

Digging Deeper Spend a morning learning more about the Gardens and plant care with our horticulturalists. Digging Deeper are member-only events and require preregistration and members may bring guests as permitted by their membership level. Upcoming tours include: March 8 Wild Garden, Wetland Boardwalk & Natural Landscapes; April 19 The Singing Tower & Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr’s Original Gardens; May 3: Hammock Hollow and Kitchen Garden. RSVP online or contact philanthropy@boktower.org or 863-734-1226

www.boktowergardens.org 2

Dr. Cushing is an independent researcher, currently working on a biography of Fredrick Law Olmsted, Jr. E L I Z A B E T H H O P E C U S H I N G, P H D

FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED JR. (1870-1957)

ONE OF OLMSTED’S PROFOUND GIFTS WAS HIS ABILITY TO INCORPORATE ALL ASPECTS OF HIS EXPERIENCE INTO HIS APPROACH TO ANY LANDSCAPE PROJECT HE ASSUMED.

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n 1921 when Edward Bok purchased his first house in the planned community of Mountain Lake in Central Florida, it was landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and the firm, Olmsted Brothers, who were in charge of the design and development. It was natural then, that Bok would turn to Olmsted several years later when he formulated the idea of creating a botanic garden and bird sanctuary at the peak of Iron Mountain, but a short walk from his winter home. Born in 1870, he was 45 when he started working at Mountain Lake in 1915 and was already a seasoned practitioner. After four years at Harvard University, combined as his studies were with the informal tutelage of his famous

father, Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., Olmsted spent a year doing a horticultural apprenticeship at George Washington Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, then plunged into work at the family firm in 1896, honing his skills in various aspects of landscape architecture. He initially assumed responsibility for park work, then moved on to a variety of commissions that enhanced his mastery, including the community planning that drew him to Lake Wales. At the turn of the century, with rapid industrialization causing massive, unplanned growth in urban America, and the advent of the automobile further exacerbating the ensuing chaos, Olmsted turned his attention to city planning,

educating himself through study of German planning, then the most advanced, and making himself an expert, and ultimately a leader, in the field for years to come. Eventually he became interested in land preservation and conservation, especially in California where he resided for a significant period of his life. Throughout his career, one of Olmsted’s profound gifts was his ability to incorporate all aspects of his experience into his approach to any landscape project he assumed. At Bok Tower Gardens he combined that experience with his instinctive understanding of place, environment, and composition to create a sensitive and appropriate design for what Bok called “a spot of beauty second to none in the country.”

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OUR CONSERVATION MISSION CHERYL L. PETERSO N

Conservation Program Manager

onservation has been an important part of the mission of Bok Tower Gardens since its hilltop of Longleaf pine forest and beautiful vista was first imagined by Edward Bok as a bird sanctuary and a place for the public to visit and enjoy nature. The Gardens has continued to expand and strengthen its role as a leader in regional conservation, from being instrumental in the preservation of the nearby Tiger Creek Preserve,

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to managing the natural areas of the gardens in order to preserve imperiled Sandhill habitat and the many species that call it home. The early dedication of the Gardens to conservation as part of its mission was visionary, as it is now globally recognized that human societies are inextricably intertwined with and dependent upon healthy ecosystems and biodiversity, and that garden institutions have a vital role in the preservation of species and habitats.

“BE ASHAMED TO DIE UNTIL YOU HAVE WON SOME SMALL VICTORY FOR HUMANITY.” HOR ACE M ANN

In 1986, Bok Tower Gardens established a Rare Plant Conservation Program to preserve the rare plant species endemic to Florida, and became part of the growing national and international conservation communities by becoming a member institution in both the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC) and Botanic Garden Conservation International (BGCI). Our Rare Plant Conservation Program has grown since then, becoming an award-winning leader in regional plant conservation, and being recognized as the official repository for the preservation of the genetic material of the rare plants of central and north Florida in an on-site ex situ collection. Florida has some of the rarest and most critically endangered plant species in the world. To help understand and preserve these species, our program develops propagation and seedbanking methods, performs biological and ecological research, engages in public educational activities, supports student projects, leads rescue efforts, restores habitat, and establishes new populations of rare species onto protected lands.

In the past thirty years, we’ve preserved over 2 million seeds from 100 species, rescued thousands of plants and hundreds of thousands of seeds from development sites, created more than 30 protected populations of 12 species throughout Florida, and helped restore more than 200 acres of critical habitat within five counties. However, our proudest accomplishments are the partnerships and public stewardship resulting from these efforts. Our hopeful vision is a future in which both people and nature thrive, meeting conservation goals while accommodating the demands of the projected human population growth. However, too often some conservationists can be antagonistic towards non-conservationminded landowners and corporations, and landowners and corporations don’t have a model for how their goals can align with conservation interests. We work respectfully with a wide variety of organizations and individuals to recognize common goals, bridge gaps, and develop such models. Our work aims to demonstrate that conservation is inextricably tied to a generous and kind worldview, and to finding solutions for a better future.

Through preservation of unique and irreplaceable biodiversity, outreach, and developing long-lasting partnerships, conservation at Bok Tower Gardens is not just about saving species that might otherwise go extinct, but it is about giving back to the community, as our small victory for mankind. Please see our “Conservation in Progress” on the Conservation pages of our website for bi-annual highlights of our efforts. To support our conservation mission, contact philanthropy@boktower.org.

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Dr. Cunningham is author of the book, The Metalwork of Samuel Yellin, expected to be released in 2020.

BOK TOWER: an artistic vision of client, architect and ironworker

JOSEPH CUNNINGHAM, PHD

Grille, Mary Louise Curtis and Edward Bok Residence, Lake Wales, FL, 1926.

Curatorial Director of Leeds Art Foundation

Staircase for Carillon Tower, in joinery department, Samuel Yellin Metalworkers, Philadelphia, PA, circa 1928.

Brass door for Carillon Tower, in joinery department, Samuel Yellin Metalworkers, Philadelphia, PA, circa 1928.

Lock design, Carillon Tower, Mountain Lake, FL, circa 1927.

amuel Yellin (18841940) was the most significant ironworker ever in America. Regarded during his lifetime and since as a quintessential master craftsman and innovator in design, he was called upon to create lavish, artistic constructions in iron for sophisticated clients including public leaders and the aesthetic elite of our country. Yellin’s work brings together traditions of European metalwork with extraordinary skills in a difficult medium. As a generous and admired teacher, Yellin led a generation of Philadelphia-area artists. J.P. Morgan, Jr., was among his ardent admirers who believed Yellin to be ‘a oneof-a-kind artisan in America.’ Samuel Yellin’s signature ability to bring a modern eye to medieval motifs made him a favorite of such design tastemakers as Mary Louise Curtis and Edward Bok. The ironworker’s relationship with the founders of Bok Tower Gardens and architect Milton Medary were both crucial during the development of his firm and the establishment of his noted forge in Philadelphia. Yellin arrived from Russia in 1905 and only truly established a clientele around 1908 to 1912

Interior, Carillon Tower, Mountain Lake, FL, circa 1928.

but among his most imaginative early designs are a pair of rabbit andirons (1912) commissioned for the Bok’s Maine cabin “Camp Rabbit.” From this early connection, many works for the couple and their sons would follow over many years. His association with this family did not end until 1939, when Mrs. Curtis-Bok placed an order for candlesticks in the year before Yellin’s death. Medary also supported Yellin with important commissions too numerous to mention from the teens through the 1920s. The triumph of Bok, Medary and Yellin as an artistic team is without question the Singing Tower. Following significant ironwork in 1924 for the Bok’s residence nearby, Yellin seized the Tower commission as a laboratory for new designs and a range of patinas. Beginning the next year and continuing through 19271928, Yellin and his staff savored the opportunity to test the bounds of their creativity and expertise creating exquisite and inspired ironwork. Yellin’s exterior railings, bridges and gates were designed to blend perfectly with the environment of trees, plants

and flowers and to draw visitors into the experience of the building itself. Featuring exceedingly complex twisted cord stiles, rails and scrolls, crestings of swooping birds and flowers these ironwork elements lead to the grand gilded brass door to the Tower, the centerpiece of the entire architectural endeavor. This profoundly elaborately decorated door features sections of repoussé, with each panel representing a biblical story or allegory, with exquisite bandings of repoussé and piercework and a fancy zodiac themed lock box and ring handle. Interior decorations include various medallions with scenes from local flora and fauna. From top to bottom of the door, the strata of the design represent the creation of heaven and earth; creation of water and the firmament; creation of trees and fruit; creation of lights, the firmament of heaven; creation of birds and fishes; creation of animals; Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The interior is as incredible as the entrance door, featuring a grand staircase, elaborate decorative items, fancy lighting and exquisite doors. Some interior doors featured elaborate strap hardware, with arcing and bowing bars of iron, extremely intricate door escutcheons and ring handles. A small door under the stair railing featured a superb decorative scheme of nail heads patterning birds and a tree of life, opened with a dramatic double-bird-head and heart shape ring handle. The stair railing made for the tower was among the most elaborate and exceptional of this type of form ever to come out of the Samuel Yellin Metalworker’s office. Decorated with never-ending sequences of flowers, twisted cord, birds, vines and tendrils,

the railing, its steps and strainers and braces are a dizzying frenzy of ironwork. Upper balcony rails add more motifs including elaborate birds heads, each holding a large twisted cord ring from its beak. Elaborate chandeliers were originally proposed for the main space in the first and second floor of the tower but were later revised as simpler lanterns that dovetail beautifully with the architecture and elaborate stair railing. Various decorative details were also made for the tower structure ranging from fire equipment to other lighting and candelabra. Decorative detailing on a table lamp for example accentuated Bok’s love of birds and the location as a bird sanctuary, perfectly fitted to the lanterns hanging above with similar themes. Two torchere-style candelabra forms were structured arising from three legged bases through collared and incised shafts to single candle holders and drip pans at the tops. An elaborate firescreen was provided for the main hearth fireplace area with innovative and elaborate alternating patterns of scrollwork. A pair of andirons with rich decoration and a fire poker were made to match. Extremely fancy switch plates were rendered for the structure with swirling patterns of leaves set into repeating wall-paper like schemes. Various decorative planters on stands were proposed for the site as a way to bring some of the exterior natural elements into the building. Mary Louise Curtis-Bok and Edward Bok’s unprecedented vision for the site, Medary’s bold architecture and Yellin’s evocation of his friends’ beloved flora and fauna unite with unparalleled elegance and power. www.boktowergardens.org 8

Celebrating

90 YEARS OF BLOOMING HISTORY

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ok Tower Gardens rings in the spring blooming season with a cultural and horticultural festival dedicated to celebrating our 90th Anniversary. Spring Bloom celebrates the majesty of Mother Nature with a full calendar of events and beautiful floral displays in each room of Pinewood Estate through March 31. For 90 years, during this annual rite of spring, visitors have observed more than 150 varieties of camellias and hundreds of azaleas in bloom. As the exact date range for peak bloom is hard to predict, guests are encouraged to return throughout the spring bloom season to experience Mother Nature’s ever-changing palette of colors. Violas, snapdragons, pansies, gerbera daisies, flowering cabbage, and other annuals also escort the arrival of spring with glorious displays of color. Trees in bloom include native plums and deciduous magnolias.

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20-24

NOW THRU APR.

Visitors can enjoy complimentary guided walking tour of the Gardens in bloom Monday-Saturday at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tours depart from the Visitor Center.

Abloom with Music and More Like the blooms that fill the Gardens, live music will delight visitors throughout the two-month festival and culminate with the 90th Anniversary International Carillon Festival March 20-24. The 60 carillon bells ring every half hour and during daily concerts at 1 and 3 p.m. Concerts are offered on the Blue Palmetto Café terrace on selected Sunday afternoons. A concert listing is available at www.boktowergardens.org.

Sponsored in part:

90th Anniversary Spring Bloom Walking Tours

NOW THRU MAR.

Spring Bloom at Pinewood Estate The jewel of Bok Tower Gardens , Pinewood Estate will blossom with specially designed floral displays. The 20-room, Mediterranean-style 1930s winter retreat is open for historical tours daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for an additional fee.

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INTERNATIONAL CARILLON FESTIVAL RETURNS MARCH 20-24

elebrating 90 years of musical and cultural heritage, Bok Tower Gardens presents the 24th International Carillon Festival March 20-24. The highly anticipated music festival features world-renowned carillonneurs performing concerts each day at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The Visitor Center will also premiere the exhibit Singing Bronze illustrating the making of carillon bells. Festival concerts are included with general admission. Visitors can also enjoy two Bok After Dark performances featuring International Carillon Festival performers on March 20 and 23. The event includes a pre-show concert at the Blue Palmetto Café and a 7:30 p.m. carillon performance. Bok After Dark is included with general admission.

JOEY BRINK: USA Brink is the sixth University Carillonneur at the University of Chicago, where he performs twice daily on the 72-bell Rockefeller Memorial Carillon and directs the University of Chicago Guild of Carillonneurs. He serves on the board of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, co-chairing the Johan Franco

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MILFORD MYHRE DAY MARCH 24 This year, the festival pays tribute to the living legacy of the Gardens’ second carillonneur, Milford Myhre who retired in 2004 after 36 years of service. March 24 will be “Milford Myhre Day” with a special appreciation ceremony, concerts featuring his music and a question and answer session with Myhre at 2pm.

24TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CARILLON FESTIVAL GUEST CARILLONNEURS TThe festival features daily concerts by four outstanding professional carillonneurs, Joey Brink, Amy Johansen, Michael Solotke, and Koen Van Assche, who are all leading international performers. Together with Gardens Carillonneur Geert D’hollander, these accomplished guest carillonneurs will perform multiple concerts throughout the five-day festival.

composition committee. Brink began his carillon studies with Ellen Dickinson in 2007, as an undergraduate at Yale University; graduated from the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, Belgium

in 2012; and studied further with Geert D’hollander at Bok Tower Gardens in 2015. In 2014, he became the first American to receive first prize at the International Queen Fabiola Carillon Competition in Belgium.

AMY JOHANSEN: AUSTRALIA Johansen is University Organist and carillonneur at the University of Sydney, Australia. Her duties include performing on the von Beckerath organ in the Great Hall and on the War Memorial Carillon for graduation ceremonies, recitals, and special events. She leads a team of 8 honorary carillonneur, as well as overseeing and performing in the organ and carillon recital series. Born and educated in the United States, Amy Johansen completed degrees in Organ Performance at the University of Florida and Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music. Johansen has recorded several organ CDs, and performed on radio programs in the USA, Australia, and England. She also enjoys an active recital schedule as organ soloist and accompanist for many ensembles, and along with husband Robert Ampt (City Organist of Sydney), plays organ duet recitals and special programs introducing children to the organ.

MICHAEL SOLOTKE: USA A former Collins Carillon Fellow at Bok Tower Gardens, Solotke is a Connecticut-based carillonneur who has performed across North America and Europe. He began playing carillon as a member of the Yale Guild of Carillonneurs in 2010, where he studied with Ellen Dickinson. In 2012, he participated in an intensive summer study program at the Royal Carillon School ‘Jef Denyn” in Mechelen, Belgium, where he studied with Geert D’hollander, Eddy Marien, and Koen Cosaert. In June 2013, Michael passed his carillonneur exam advancement recital and became a Carillonneur Member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. Michael holds a B.S. in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry from Yale, and is currently a medical student at the Yale School of Medicine. His interests outside of carillon and medicine include the outdoors, playing the piano and trombone, distance running, and Belgian beer.

KOEN VAN ASSCHE: BELGIUM Koen Van Assche is the carillonneur of the Belgian cities of Antwerp, Lier, Turnhout and Herentals. He first studied music and flute in Antwerp and, at the age of 14, started his carillon studies at the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, where he graduated in 1986. He was awarded prizes at several international carillon competitions, and has given recitals in Europe, the USA and Australia. He is president of the Flemish Carillon Guild and of the World Carillon Federation. He has recorded several CDs for carillon including The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi. The 24th International Carillon Festival is supported and sponsored in part by Visit Central Florida and The State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. www.boktowergardens.org 12

YOUR Upon his death in 1930, Edward W. Bok left a portion of his estate to preserve Bok Tower Gardens. We invite you to create your own legacy and join him in making a charitable provision in your estate plan. Your estate gift secures the financial permanence of Bok Tower Gardens for future generations. From charitable remainder trusts to simply listing Bok Tower Gardens as a

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legacy beneficiary of your will, there are many ways to structure your gift to meet your needs.

Joining the Edward W. Bok Society provides for the future of Bok Tower Gardens while lessening your tax burden and maintaining control of your assets during your lifetime. To request the guide to becoming a member or to discuss options, contact Melissa Tyrone, Director of Philanthropy at 863-734-1213.

MEMBERS Anonymous Phyllis J. Bailey in Memory of Mary K. Beyrer Bonnie F. Bergeron Curtis Bok and Sharon Bailey-Bok H. Abigail Bok Linda L. Browning in Honor of Terry Browning Ford J.F. Bryan IV

Mrs. Carol C. Chandler Susan M. Diebel Frank Drake Martha T. Edwards Ken Taylor Endline Howard E. Ferris Carol First Clifford C. Freund Douglas and Jeanne Gayhart

Jane in memory of Demaris P. Goodwin Mr. John R. Goodwin Jr. P. Timothy Hartsfield and Jody C. Shellene Kurt and Edith Hoppe Jack and Landy Little Charles Eric Matheny Marilyn S. Newell David M. Price

Roger E. Robson Jim Rothman Enid Curtis Bok Schoettle Jonathan A. Shaw Rick T. Short Joan A. and John R. Thomas Cynthia J. Turner Melissa C. Tyrone Mr. Marion T. Yongue and Mr. Evan C. Earle

Ruth M. Hubbard Frank M. Hubbard Howard and Lois King Bruce Newell

Gwen C. Seliga Dorothy Suchner Mamoru Yoshida

MEMBER EMERITIS Mr. C. Harvey Bradley William G. Burns Dr. & Mrs. George Butz Ruth F. Conn

In Memorium Carol Drake Mr. Donald C. Frueh John F. Germany John B. Goodwin

For more information on the Edward W. Bok Society, contact Melissa Tyrone, Director of Philanthropy, 863-734-1213 Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of this list. Kindly reach out to mtyrone@boktower.org to let us know if we have made a mistake, omitted your name, or if you would like to be listed differently in the future. www.boktowergardens.org 14

A CONVERSATION WITH

Milford Myhre G

iven Bok Tower Gardens’ beautiful carillon, artful Singing Tower, and lush, serene setting, it is no wonder that in the Gardens’ 90 year history only four people have held the position of carillonneur. Milford Myhre (Bok Tower Gardens’ second carillonneur from 19682004) recently spent an afternoon with us in the Tower, so we took the opportunity to ask him a few questions. (Responses have been edited for length and clarity.) WHAT FIRST DREW YOU TO THE CARILLON? “Well, that’s an interesting story. Because the first [I heard of the carillon was] when I was about eight years old and my aunt, who was

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afflicted with breast cancer, [went] to the Mayo Clinic. And she came back with a fascinating account - Mayo Clinic has a carillon on the top of the clinic. At five in the evening the carillonneur would play familiar hymns very simply, and she thought that was the most gratifying, restful cure. I mean it was not a cure, but it just eased her concern for those few hours. She was a very favorite aunt of mine, and very artistic. She also brought a book, not of Mayo Clinic, but of Bok Tower, of all things. This was in the early/mid thirties, so Bok Tower was not yet 10 years old. The publicity was still enormous on this strange thing that had happened in Florida. And that fascinated me too, because it was a beautiful, beautiful tower to look at.

I was an organ major at the University [of Nebraska] and the university did not have much of an organ for the students to study. Our teacher was organist at [First Plymouth Church], which had the best organ in town. We would play on this organ on Fridays to learn organ repertoire and be able to hear what the instrument should really sound like. We were all freshmen up through seniors in the same class. So, after about a semester, one of the seniors, Ronald Barnes, drew me aside and he said, “you seem to be very interested in the organ but if you’re smart, you might consider learning how to play the carillon here, because I’m the carillonneur and I’m going to graduate and I’ll be gone.” He said “they don’t pay much”, I think it was $50 per year, “but you play on Sundays, and the advantage is they give you a key to the church. And you could come out and use the organ any time, day or night, and have unlimited time on the organ.” So, I did. I took his advice and then I got hooked on the carillon too. I was there three years as the carillonneur, and I thought, ‘that’s it for the carillon. I won’t ever have a carillon job.’ I was drafted into the army and ended up, of all places, in Europe. When I got out, I chose to take a discharge in Europe and had a year of study in Europe on the organ. By then I could get a GI bill accommodation to study French at the Sorbonne. I went up to Belgium during that break before the term started and studied at [the Royal Carillon School in] Mechelen [Belgium] with Staf Nees. And that was a kind of renewal of interest. After studying in France, I elected to go to the University of Michigan, and

only time I’ll ever be in Florida.” And he said, ‘well, there are only two places.’ He was a rather conservative Belgian. He said ‘there’s The Ringling Museum in Sarasota’, I think he liked it mainly because they had the Rubens cartoons in the main room there, and the Columbia Restaurant in – Ybor City – he said ‘that’s the only other place. There’s nothing else in Florida.’ Well, he was very wrong.” Milford Myhre with Geert D’hollander

there they had Percival Price, who is an outstanding carillon person, so that kind of solidified me. But I really thought, ‘there are no paying jobs for carillon. It's just rare, it's a creepy job. Good luck’. The summer I finished at Michigan, there was an emergency notice that came into the music department office, where my roommate happened to work, and he said there is a place in Indiana that is desperately in need of an organist. And it happened to be Culver [Military Academy] where I passed my exam to join the carillon guild because there is also a carillon in that chapel. And so there you go, I had ten years more of organ and carillon [at Culver] before I came down here [to Bok Tower Gardens].” TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR PREDECESSOR, ANTON BREES (1897-1967, Bok Tower Gardens Carillonnneur 1928-1967) “When I came down the first year in ’66, I thought it was going to be my one trip to Florida and I was going to make it count. So I asked Anton Brees, “What should I really see? Since this will probably be the

WHY DID YOU WANT TO PLAY AT BOK TOWER GARDENS? “In simple terms, the carillon is the best one I’d ever heard of, although I’d never been here at that time. [Nellie Lee Bok] had contacted me and invited me down for guest recitals the previous year. But it was by far the best instrument and the best site. And it was Florida. I had been ten years in Northern Indiana with winter and snow… Come down here and wear short sleeves in January, I mean come on!” WHAT IS YOUR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF THE CARILLON ART? “I hope for an infinite number of people like Julie*. All the young people that are smart and love the instrument and are willing to work hard. And really have imagination, as well as the desire to make what they’re imagining work – that’s the hard part.” *Julie Zhu, one of Bok Tower Gardens’ phenomenal carillon fellows.

The next issue of The Garden Path will feature part two of this series, a conversation with William “Bill” De Turk, Bok Tower Gardens’ third carillonneur. www.boktowergardens.org 16

“PERSONS WHO HAVE RENDERED SOCIETY OUTSTANDING SERVICES OF A HIGHLY EXCEPTIONAL NATURE IN

ORDER OF THE

NETHERLANDS

LION

EITHER THE FULFILLMENT OF THEIR CIVIC DUTIES OR EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY IN SCIENCES AND ARTS.” 17 Winter 2019

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Telegram of congratulations from the Nederlandsch Amerikaansche Fundatie, the sister organization of the Netherland-American Foundation, which Bok helped found

The Chicago Evening Post, October 29, 1924

n August 28, 1924, Edward W. Bok was honored as a Knight of the Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, the Order of the Netherlands Lion.

New York Times, October 1924

Insignia awarded to Knights of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Image courtesy of the Chancery of the Netherlands Orders of Knighthood, The Hague.

Similar to the Presidential Medal of Freedom given in the United States, the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands honors “persons who have rendered society outstanding services of a highly exceptional nature in either the fulfillment of their civic duties or extraordinary ability in sciences and arts.” Bok received the Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw by

royal decree of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, who bestowed this great honor in “recognition of [Bok’s] faithful attachment to the country of [his] birth and of [his] untiring efforts in providing a clearer appreciation of Dutch history, culture, traditions and spirit, whereby [he has] so largely contributed to a more intelligent understanding between two nations.” To help celebrate Bok Tower Gardens’ 90th Anniversary, the Chancery of the Netherlands Orders of Knighthood has been kind enough to loan one of the beautiful insignias of the Order of the Netherlands Lion, like the one Edward Bok received in 1924. The medal will be on display in the Visitor Center during our 90th Anniversary celebration. Be sure to visit and learn more about this great honor Mr. Bok received from the land of his birth.

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Stories IN

STONE D AV I D P R I C E

President, Bok Tower Gardens

n providing his vision for the Singing Tower, Edward Bok wrote, “Just as the sculptural work of the European singing towers is reminiscent of the history of the country and its local legends, so is the sculptural work of the Mountain Lake Singing Tower suggestive of Florida and its neighboring life and Legend.”

(L to R) Lee Lawrie, Winifred Kahl Wakeman, Horace Burrell, & Stephanie Burrell Winifred was wife of Lawrie’s assistant, Robert C. Wakeman

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MEDARY BROUGHT TOGETHER HIS DREAM TEAM OF ARTISANS TO CREATE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TOWER EVER BUILT

Tower architect, Milton Medary, best summarized Bok’s vision in his account “In creating both the Sanctuary and the Carillon Tower, the only specification laid down by Mr. Bok was that they must be beautiful- as beautiful as it was possible to make them.” He went on to illustrate, beauty is universal but its expression is local and dependent. Medary brought together his dream team of artisans to create the most beautiful tower ever built. Samuel Yellin for the iron work, J.H. Dulles Allen for tile work, and Lee Lawrie for the sculpture. Medary, Yellin and Lawrie were already working on

Plaster models called maquettes of Lawrie’s designs.

Hartley Burr Alexander to interpret nature, history, and location into the themes of his projects. When offered the job to decorate Edward Bok’s Tower, Lawrie wrote to Medary expressing strong interest to use Dr. Alexander’s expertise. the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Building in Philadelphia when the Bok project started. Allen and Yellin worked on the Pan American Union Building in New York.

made strides to join his firm at the age of 18. This gutsy move led to a positon in his firm and began a 30-year partnership with Goodhue. Together, they worked on over 100 collaborative projects.

Like Edward Bok, Lawrie was an immigrant. Born in 1877 in Prussia, Lawrie immigrated to the United States as a small child with his single mother. Born Hugo Belling, his name changed at age six when his mother remarried. Life was hard for Lawrie and he spent some of his childhood living in orphanages. He had a talent for drawing people and made money on the street with his sketches. He dropped out of school at the age of 14 and landed a job as an inker at a printing press; however, his talent led to a quick promotion to draw advertisements. Within a year, he was working in a sculpting studio. His skills continued to grow as a sculptor’s helper and he found sculpting work at the Chicago Columbia Exhibition of 1893. Coincidentally this project also involved a young Fredrick Law Olmsted, Jr.

In his twenties, Lawrie enrolled at Yale and soon the student became the teacher. With two years left until graduation, Lawrie was teaching classes and developing his modernist style. Later, he went on to teach at Harvard.

Captivated by the work of architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, Lawrie

Lawrie was a sought after artist for architectural sculpture by many architects. He took on multiple commissions at a time, often working seven days a week and only stopping when he reached the point of exhaustion. His ability to manage the logistics, business, and the creative output was astounding. Lawrie had more than 300 commissions in his life and most of these projects were comprised of dozens of sculptures. His studio employed up to 10 assistants to turn his clay designs into plaster maquettes used as models for stone, bronze, or ceramic sculpture. On some of his most notable projects, Lawrie consulted with philosopher Dr.

While working on the Tower, Lawrie was also collaborating on projects including the Nebraska State Capital, Rockefeller Chapel in Chicago, Los Angeles Public Library, Fidelity Mutual Life Building in Philadelphia, and the Education & Finance Building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A brilliant artist, he was able to manage all these projects simultaneously. His most recognized work is at Rockefeller Center including the statue Atlas. Acknowledged as one of the nation’s foremost architectural sculptors, his long and prolific career led to him receiving many honors and awards from trade and professional organizations. However, his shy, humble demeanor and lack of self-promotion has left him largely unknown. Thanks to his stories in stone at Bok Tower Gardens, Lawrie’s sculptures remain a testament to his genius and the Singing Tower is an indelible tribute to a true American artist. For more information, the biography Lee Lawrie’s Prairie Deco by Gregory Paul Harm is available for purchase at The Shop at Bok. www.boktowergardens.org 20

SINGING BRONZE A JOURNEY FROM METAL TO MUSIC

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HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW THE BELLS OF BOK TOWER’S CARILLON WERE MADE? This spring, you can learn more about the fascinating process of bell founding in a new exhibit titled, Singing Bronze: A Journey from Metal to Music. The exhibit, which is produced by Bok Tower Gardens and funded by a grant from the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, will be on display in the Visitor Center from March 20 through mid-June. Every bell is unique and a lot of hard work, craftsmanship, and artistry go into its creation. The exhibit follows the journey that each bell makes; from the creation of its molds to the sounding of its beautiful overtones.

1. 6. 2.

1. Workers at the Taylor Bell Foundry creating the inner mold or “core” of a bell Credit: John Taylor Bell Foundry (Loughborough, England) 2. Workers cleaning the mold. Paccard Bell Foundry (Annecy, France) (Author Bigelow Collection, Bok Tower Gardens) 3. Molten bronze being pouring to cast a bell Credit: John Taylor Bell Foundry

4. The University of Michigan’s (Ann Arbor, MI) bourdon (largest) bell being tuned at the John Taylor Bell Foundry (Loughborough, England) 5. Bok Tower Garden’s bourdon (largest) bell being moved into the Singing Tower (Lake Wales, FL), 1928 6. Bells being installed in the Aarschot Peace Carillon (Aarschot, Belgium), 2018 Credit: Marc Van Eyck 7. Anton Brees, Bok Tower Gardens’ first carillonneur, at the keyboard

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RICHARD GUY WILSON, PHD

Commonwealth Professor, Architectural History, University of Virginia

THE BOK SINGING TOWER

& MILTON

MEDARY

Credit: The American Institute of Architecture Archives, Washington, DC

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Credit: The American Institute of Architecture Archives, Washington, DC

IT WAS FOR HIS ARCHITECTURAL WORK AND SERVICE THAT IN 1929 HE RECEIVED THE HIGHEST HONOR FOR ARCHITECTS, THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS’ GOLD MEDAL.

he Bok Singing Tower designed by the Philadelphia architect Milton Medary is—I believe—one the great American landmarks of all time. The Tower presents a unique image stylistically that provides the viewer with a sense of majesty and wonder before even one note is struck on the carillon. Medary (1874-1929) practiced architecture in Philadelphia being a partner in a number of prominent firms. His designs include the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge, many buildings for the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton

University, the Philadelphia Divinity School, a building in the Federal Triangle in Washington, DC and many others. In addition to his architectural practice, he served in many public roles and was chair of the United States Housing Corporation that built extensive worker’s villages during World War I. It was for his architectural work and service that in 1929 he received the highest honor for architects, the American Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal. Medary studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania in the classical “Beaux-Arts” style. Medary

learned from other architects and established an openminded approach to design. He also worked in Gothic, Tudor, and various classical idioms. The range of his work shows an inquisitiveness and willingness to change styles depending on the task. Stylistically the Tower does not fit into any one category and is unique to American architecture. The Tower’s creation was the sum of Edward Bok’s ideas along with the landscape design of Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., the sculpture of Lee Lawrie, the iron work of Samuel Yellin, the tile artistry of J. H. Dulles Allen, and the

construction work of Horace H. Burrell & Son. Edward Bok assembled a “dream team” of artisans; however, it was Medary who was the leader. Neo-gothic could be an appropriate description of the Tower’s architectural style as indicated by the pointed arches, engaged buttresses and pinnacles. The term “Arts & Crafts” style could also be used as seen in the wonderful display of artisanship used to construct the icon. All of the Tower’s vertical features, setbacks, ornament and color represents some of the most advanced architecture of the later 1920s. Edward Bok would have called this style “Moderne” as the term “Art Deco” was not defined until the late 1960s. The Singing Tower is unique in all aspects and encompasses a variety of design approaches. This historical and cultural icon displays the very best of American design from the 1920s.

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A small four-pound bell was cast by the Taylor Bell Foundry in honor of the GCNA’s 50th anniversary in 1986. The bell is used to officially open and close each congress and at the close of the congress is passed to the next year’s host.

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E PASSING THE

BELL GCNA Congress comes to Bok Tower Gardens

Host of the 2018 GCNA Congress, Carlo van Ulft, passes a small four pound bell to 2019 congress host, Geert D’hollander

very summer the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA) holds its annual congress. The meeting brings together musicians, bell founders, carillon builders, and carillon enthusiasts from across the continent (and often from Europe and Australia too) for wonderful performances, presentations, and conversations on how to advance and promote the carillon art. Bok Tower Gardens is delighted to be hosting the 77th Congress of the GCNA June 10-14, 2019. Performances at the congress, including student exam recitals, will be open to all Gardens’ visitors [included with regular paid admission, free for members]. Those interested in attending the meetings and presentations may register for the congress via the GCNA’s website at gcna.org. Bok Tower Gardens previously hosted the GCNA Congress in 1968 and 1979.

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THE TILE WORK OF

J.H. DULLES JAIME L. FOGEL, MLS

“THE DESIGN [IS] LIGHT, AIRY, WHIMSICAL, IN KEEPING WITH THE CHARACTER OF A SINGING TOWER IN A BIRD SANCTUARY.” J.H. DULLES ALLEN

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Collections Manager, Bok Tower Gardens

ALLEN Tile floor of the Founder’s Room

n 1905, while recovering from a polo accident, Joseph “Joe” H. Dulles Allen ordered a kiln and began to experiment with the local clay on his family farm on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The following year, Enfield Pottery & Tile Works was officially established. A 1908 article describes both Allen himself and the Enfield Farm in the most charming terms, “nestled down near the water’s edge, in attractive clumps of

hardy shrubbery and trees, may be found the most picturesque private studio and kiln in all Montgomery County. In this ideal spot the artist, Mr. J. H. Dulles Allen, produces from day to day the most charming results in clay modeling and in various novel features of clay craftsmanship, while he oversees the production of tiles and pottery.” Friendly with a number of architects including Albert Kelsey, Paul Cret, and Milton Medary, Allen began receiving commissions to create tile works to fulfill their architectural visions. Among Allen’s credits include work for

the Pan American Union Building (Washington, DC), Carson Valley School (Flourtown, PA), the Benjamin Franklin Bridge (between Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ) and the Barnes Foundation (Philadelphia, PA). Allen’s finest achievement, however, are the tiles which adorn the Bok Singing Tower. Not only are they a work of art, but also a feat of engineering. The tile grilles, which were designed by Enfield’s chief designer Walter P. Suter under Allen’s direction, needed to fulfill several special requirements, including withstanding high wind pressure, the ability

for simple installation at 150 ft height and, perhaps most importantly, they needed to be 60-70% open to allow the sound of the carillon to pass through. Suter and Allen’s designs can also be seen on the floor of the Founder’s Room, which features an elaborate tile floor which Allen called “Birth of Garden,” using the same bright colors of the tile grilles on the outside of the Tower. In 1928, Allen was invited to participate in the International Exhibition of Ceramic Art, which premiered at Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, NY) and traveled to several locations around the country. The display included a replica of one of the large tile grilles from the Singing Tower. Although Enfield Pottery closed in the 1930s, a result of the Great Depression, Allen was awarded the American Institute of Architects’ Craftsmanship Medal in 1938. www.boktowergardens.org 28

Selections from the

DEDICATION ADDRESS OF

PRESIDENT

CALVIN COOLIDGE

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hese grounds which we are dedicating today… as a sanctuary because within it people may temporarily escape from the pressure and affliction of the affairs of life and find that quiet and repose which comes from a closer communion with the beauties of nature… We have a special need for a sanctuary like this to which we can retreat for a time from the daily turmoil and have a place to rest and think under the quieting influences of nature and of nature’s God…

FEBRUARY 1, 1929 Those who come here report the feeling of peace, which they have experienced. In the expression of an ancient writer, it is a place to which to invite one’s soul, where one may see in the landscape and foliage, not what man has done, but what God has done… It is no accident that this superb creation, which we

are dedicating today is the conception of a man, an American by adoption, not by birth, who has felt the pinch of poverty, who has experienced the thrill of hard manual labor, and who has triumphed over many difficulties. Edward W. Bok is making this contribution in recognition of his loyalty to his sovereign, the people. It is another demonstration that when they are given the opportunity the people have the innate power to provide themselves with the wealth, the culture, the art, and the refinements that support an enlightened civilization. Now, therefore, in a spirit of thankfulness for the success of our institutions, which is here attested, and appreciation of the munificent generosity, which is here exhibited, in my capacity as President of

the United States I hereby dedicate this Mountain Lake Sanctuary and its Singing Tower and present them for visitation to the American people.

The full speech transcript can be found at www. boktowergardens.org/ dedicationday

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Non-Profit U.S. Postage

PAID

Lakeland, FL Permit No. 1

th ANNIVERSARY

ROOTSTOCK CELEBRATION

MEMBER’S NIGHT

Membership boktowergardens.org/membership 863.734.1233

OCT. 19

Philanthropy boktowergardens.org/donate 863.734.1213 Education boktowergardens.org/education 863.734.1221

Hours Open 365 Days a Year! 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. with last admission at 5 p.m.

Member discount

Members receive a 10% discount at The Shop at Bok, the Blue Palmetto Café, and on most programs and events.

Bok Tower Gardens, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, is supported by tax-exempt gifts and contributions and is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

TWENTY FIFTH

INTERNATIONAL CARILLON FESTIVAL Featuring daily carillon concerts by carillonneurs from Belgium, Poland, The Netherlands and the United States of America.

MARCH 20-24