Niagara Justice: Olmsted and the Romantic Ideals

Figure 01: The Goat island, located in the middle of Niagara river, was the last unspoiled land, when Olmsted launched the Free Niagara Movement.

Source: Farovision.org (2016). [Film still: 56’40”]

Introduction The following essay seeks to reveal the thread of thought that inspired Frederick Law Olmsted to be in the frontline of environmental conservation, especially in the case of the first American State Park; Niagara Falls, New York.

He and his colleague Vaux were the first to use the term ‘landscape architect’ to describe their profession (Hunt, 2000, p.3) and abundant literature can be found regarding the impact their parks had on shaping the urban texture of major U.S. cities. However, as Sachs (2018) argues, Olmsted’s most important aspect was his fight for environmental justice, an ideal that dates back to the era of the Romantics. The essay engages with this link and studies the ideas that nourished Olmsted to become a key figure of the global conservation movement.

Niagara Justice: Olmsted and the Romantic Ideals

To confront this subject, academic books, documentaries and online lectures act as main resources of references.

Spirn (1996) and Heckescher (2008) give emphasis on the sensibility of Olmsted’s designs in reconstructing a natural-looking landscape. The lectures of Scahs (2018) and Vogt (2020), as well as the documentary presented

by Yogerst (2019) underlie the value of his fight for environmental preservation and the importance of public access to parks. However, only Smithson (1973) attempts to connect Olmsted’s work with the ideas of the Romantic Movement. In order to further study this connection and to understand the Romantic era, the work of the historians Hunt (1992) and Schama (2020) are studied.

MLA Bartlett School of Architecture

Landscape Architecture History and Theory Module Coordinators: Tim Waterman, Tom Keeley

Souvatzi Alexandra 22 February 2021

The essay begins with Olmsted’s initial thoughts about Niagara. Following, the verbal and theoretical context that was developed during the Romantic Movement will be analyzed, as well as the impact it had on the following generation’s lifestyle, ideology and perception of the world.

At the same time, there is a description of how these ideals influenced F.L. Olmsted in his life and career.

Finally, the essay results in underlying how the Niagara State Park was the outcome of all these parameters; a unique romantic park that acts as a milestone for worldwide environmental conservation.

01

Initial Thoughts on Niagara

that humans began to realize the damage they cause on the planet, as well as their duty to preserve Mother Nature, a value that has its roots in the awareness raised by the Romantic Movement.

For Frederick Law Olmsted, Niagara was more than just a park. It represented his perspective towards equity of the people when it comes to enjoying the benefits of natural scenery (Carr, 2015). His unsuccessful attempt to protect Yosemite Valley from private exploitation probably engaged him even more with his effort to save the already degraded Niagara. As he stated in his report towards the local governor, the conservation of the Falls was ‘a sacred obligation to mankind’ (qtd. in Yogerst, 2019, 16’50”).

Links with the Romantic Didactic The Romantics filled words with meanings when it comes to perceiving landscapes. Through their art, such as W. Wordsworth’s poems, they invited people to escape in the landscape and let nature inside their bodies and connect with the cosmos (Schama, 2020). However, as Hunt (1992) argues, in order to describe ideas, emotions and pleasures, there must be adjacent words. Thus, in the beginning of the Romantic era, a discussion had risen between U. Price, W. Gilpin, R.P. Knight and many others regarding the ideal verbal context to serve their purpose.

A few years later, young Olmsted will study these texts, enriching his knowledge on the romantic perspective, which will later assist him in his designs (Smithson, 1973).

By the time F.L. Olmsted first visited Niagara in 1869, industrial revolution and uncontrolled mass tourism had already scared the landscape (Klein, 2018). Power plants on the riverside used the waterpower as a cheap resource of energy, while the remaining land with a view towards the falls was either privatized, charging visitors for a view, or in bad condition (Spirn, 1996). However, there was a last fragment of land which remained unspoiled; the Goat Island, located in the middle of the river. When Olmsted visited the place, his skillful eye recognized the unique biodiversity of the landscape that relied upon the mist produced from the falls (Yogerst, 2019), a scenery that once should have covered the surrounding region as well.

The meaning of the sublime originates from the feeling of astonishment that was generated when crossing the Alpes or wondering in the mountains of the Lake District.

As E. Bruke defines it (qtd. in Thomson, 2009) the sublime is closely related to the most vivid human passion; the strive for survival. The terror generated when one is a step away from death is the strongest emotional experience a human can have. Thus, when it is activated without being in danger it is converted into a delightful astonishment, the awe of the Sublime. Church’s painting of Niagara generated such an emotion to the viewers’ imagination, as it places them right on the edge of the enormous cliff on the falls. It is quite clear why the Niagara Falls were considered the most exceptional landscape of sublime wilderness in America of the 19th century (Spirn, 1996), as it was a site known to a wide crowd which undoubtedly provokes awe.

It was then that he decided to launch a conservation campaign called Free Niagara Movement with the mere intent to preserve the natural scenery and protect it from both investors and visitors (Carr, 2015). Based upon the ideas he had pointed out on Yosemite report, he initiated a long-lasting social and political fight to restore the landscape and return it to the public (Spirn, 1996).

He strongly believed that such sceneries are crucial to enhance the physical and mental health of all the people, not just the financial elite (Carr, 2015). To support his cause, he invited a host of prominent intellectuals to join him, including his practice partner C. Vaux, the influential artist J. Ruskin, the naturalist C. Darwin, the artists F.E. Church and W. Morris and many more (Klein, 2018).

It is evident that Olmsted was already accustomed to the lobbying processes and the social pressure needed to influence legislation change in favor of the public.

Nonetheless, it would take almost 20 years to see his cause agreed and start designing.

Figure 03: Church’s panoramic painting on the edge of Niagara Falls provoked awe for the sublime nature and drew significant attention to the condition of the falls.

Source: The Art Story Foundation (2021) [Artwork]

Another essential meaning created by the Romantics is enclosed in the word wilderness. This does not describe a specific landscape or emotion, on the contrary it is a highly personal experience of the sublime, that anyone can encounter while wondering in nature. As J. Locke (qtd. in Hunt,1992) suggests, this era favored the individual perspective and motivated people to have their own opinion, emotions and understanding of the world. These emotions, captured by the senses, are described by the word aesthetic (MacArthur, 2007) which led to the term picturesque, an aesthetical way to look at nature as if it were a painting. This idea was discussed and revisited a lot by W. Gilpin who pointed out that seeing only what is of aesthetic interest can result in building up a lie (qtd. in Thomson, 2009).

Figure 02: Industrial activity and power plants had already degraded Niagara’s riverside by 19th century.

Source: Niagara County Bicentennial Committee (2009). [Historical image]

Interestingly, the first milestone towards success was a landscape painting. A panoramic view of Niagara Falls, standing right on the edge, created by F.E. Church in 1857 (Klein, 2018). By the time of the Free Niagara initiative, it had already drawn significant attention of both U.S. and European citizens on the state of Niagara landscape. Its popularity lies in the way it depicts the sublime notion of the falls. The picturesque painting, consciously hides any man-made interventions of the landscape, framing it accordingly to express the value of wilderness. As the author J. Yorgest (2019) describes, it is at this point in time

How did these ideas influence Olmsted? In a letter to his practice partner, he wrote ‘I am capable of stronger passions than many men’ (qtd. in Heckescher, 2008, p.5) 02

while talking about the degraded and still undesigned Central Park. Probably, it was this exact ability that enabled him to see the potential of a place and to embrace its qualities. His education on feeling the landscapes began at a very young age, when he would go on excursions in nature with his family, to search for the picturesque.

These trips shaped his taste and character and were fundamental for his education, as he stated (Roper, 1973). Even as a mature adult he found relief from stress while strolling in contemplation within a natural scenery (Spirn, 1996). As the Romantics before him, he strongly believed that everyone should have the opportunity to visit sceneries and experience landscapes to pursuit health and happiness (Carr, 2015).

Aftermath of the Romantic ideas

Figure 04: Morisot captures a view of a fashionable Parisian landscape, Lac Inferiur, Bois. Women enjoy the pleasant weather by boating at the park’s lake.

Source: National Gallery, London (2020). [Personal Archive]

It is not to wonder why the Romantics motivated people to escape in nature for leisure (O’Malley et al, 2015).

The urban condition of the West civilization must have been dreadful in the 18th until mid. 19th centuries.

Revolutions, wars, fear, smog, poverty, pandemics and insecurity would stress people of all classes. Rapid globalization and industrialization changed the perception of landscapes and rose for the first time the issue of local identity loss (Schama, 2020). However, the excessive rail and ship networks that were developed brought urban citizens closer to the countryside and set the stage for the activity of tourism (Urry, 1995).

perspective reflects the concern of that time regarding the damage being caused to the natural environment by humans. The popularity of this idea, that circulated in the West, was crucial for the emergence of environmental justice and the victory of the Free Niagara Movement.

A Romantic Approach for Niagara The work of F.L. Olmsted is often valued not for its aesthetics but for his expression of justice, both social and environmental. In an era when capitalism was being established globally and colonialism directed the political directions, he focused on designing for the common good, over private benefit (Sachs, 2018). He repetitively underlined the democratic significance of the parks as places for people of all classes to enjoy equally (Olmsted, 1870), as well as the importance of protecting natural sceneries where everyone can pursuit health and happiness (Carr, 2015). In the case of Niagara, not only he managed to return privatized land to the public, but he made a statement in the need of preserving wilderness.

In the beginning of the 19th century, the poet R. Southey (qtd. in Hunt, 1992) pointed out that travelling in the countryside during summer was already considered essential. Tourism is directly linked with the concept of the picturesque and from 1830 onwards its impact begins to be noticeable (MacArthur, 2007). The contemporary sociologist J. Urry (2011) suggests that by then, tourist trends had begun to emerge, such as bathing at the sea for health benefit, or capturing a picturesque scenery on a sketch or with the new travel accessory, the Claude Glass. People start to search for ways to experience landscapes, rather than looking at them. As Hunt (1992) argues, tourists seek new ideas and lifestyles that will provide them an adventure to enjoy together with their co-travelers, which will change the way landscapes are consumed.

When the local government finally agreed with the petition of the movement in 1885, Olmsted and Vaux showed in their report that landscape architecture can be used as a means to restore a damaged scenery. Following the tradition of the picturesque, they started by setting up the views and cleaning them up from man-made structures, such as power plants, as nothing artificial should disrupt the carefully constructed wild landscape (Spirn, 1996).

They choreographed the experience in such a way that visitors could enjoy the marvel of nature together, interacting with each other, or find places to isolate in contemplation (Carr, 2015). The landscape was accessible to all free of charge, providing views not only of the falls but of the surrounding waterscape as well (Farovision, 2016).

F.L. Olmsted did not escape from this current. By mid. 19th century he would travel with his brother to the ‘Land of our poets’, as he would call England (qtd. in Roper, 1973, p.

68). He explored its landscapes, cities, parks and everyday life, travelling mostly on foot and taking notes, almost like a student on a field trip. He understood the importance of public access to parks, a social value that his mentor, J. Ruskin would often link with the beauty of their landscape (Roper, 1973). From the horticulturist of Kew Gardens R. Thomson, he also learnt about Paris, which he later visited at a time when a new art movement was establishing its influence, the Impressionists.

The painters of Impressionism were quick to follow the day trippers that left the cities in their leisure time to enjoy the countryside and capture the activities they developed (Hunt, 1992). A lot of their paintings focused on unspoiled gardens or sceneries, in an effort to redefine the picturesque imaginary that was lost within the industrialized city. These lush gardens appear to be natural, however they require a lot of human effort to be created and maintained, especially of horticulturists. Hunt (1992, p.283) argues that these gardens can be linked to an ‘ecological picturesque’ which removes humans from the picture and allows nature to thrive. This ecological

Figure 05: Olmsted’s and Vaux’s design removes any man-made structures surrounding the falls and provides spaces for leisure. The sublime landscape of the falls is framed by a natural-looking landscape.

Source: Farovision.org (2016). [Film still: 40’29”] 03

Conclusion

As Marot (2003, p.32) argues, gardens are ‘machines for travelling in space and time’ and the park in Niagara has exactly this quality; to bring you back in time (Farovision, 2016). In a Romantic essence, Olmsted chooses to see only what is of interest, his own wilderness, and fights to restore it and make it accessible for future generations.

He invites people to explore this sublime landscape and experience it in their own way. Just like the Impressionists, he recreates an ‘artful wilderness’ (Spirn, 1996, p 91) that appears to be unspoiled and untouched by humans, but in reality, is carefully studied and constructed. His idea of justice does not involve only humans, but also the right of water to follow its course, or the right of the flora that relies upon the mist to be left intact and the right of birds to maintain their habitat. He fought for the smells, the sounds and the textures that make up a landscape and the need of humans to experience it.

Olmsted, especially in the U.S.A., is considered to be a creative genius, the ‘father of landscape architecture’ (Vicki Phillipy, 2017), a man ahead of his time. However, as it is seen in this essay, Olmsted’s success can be attributed to the way he grasped and expressed the intellectual current of his era. As O’Malley (2015, p.77) argues, ‘regeneration is the political act springing from the romantic impulse to choose life over death’ and in the case of Niagara it is evident that Olmsted followed exactly this direction. He ended the industrialized policy of the region that threatened the environment, in order to provide space for nature to thrive and for visitors to enjoy.

He protected life and made sure that adjacent legislation would preserve this sublime scenery in the future.

These intentions can be understood considering that Olmsted was raised during the Romantic Movement and his point of view is turned towards the 18th century England (Smithson, 1973). The theories that emerged then awakened people to recognize the value of nature and to fight for the return of privatized wilderness into public domain (Yogerst, 2019). Thus, whole regions were protected from exploitation and were valued for their natural environment, biodiversity and scenery.

Schama (2020) concludes that the Romantics are important now, for the way they pursued harmony in everyday life, political and social justice and balance between man and nature. How could these ideas be interpreted today?

Olmsted and Vaux with the help of all the participants of the Free Niagara Movement set up the legislation and prototype of all State Parks to come (Yorgest, 2019).

Of course, the condition of the Falls changed many times from then and a discussion has risen as to whether Olmsted’s design was indeed the most appropriate.

The conflict between energy production and scenic preservation remained unsolved and pressured the local government for years (Spirn, 1996). Furthermore, the skillful restoration of the landscape has seen it accused of concealing important problems of the region, such as the contamination left from industrial activity, the destruction caused by mass tourism or even the slavery past of the region (Penner, 2009).

In this day and age, preservation of the biosphere is a crucial factor for the future of mankind. The degradation of the natural environment not only threatens species with extinction, but raises concerns about the prosperity of humans. As Vogt (2020) points out, the protection scheme Olmsted established is of extreme importance for contemporary practice. Niagara State Park demonstrates how landscape architects can influence change capable of creating a worldwide turning point in environmental and political scenes. How can we revisit romantic ideals in our time? And how contemporary landscape architects can shape public opinion and redefine legislation in favor of nature?

However, if we look upon Niagara under the prism of the Romantic Ideals, the result fits perfectly to the narrative.

Because the Romantics were not problem solvers.

On the contrary, they invited people to leave all the problems caused by industrialization and globalization behind and get lost in nature to calm their soul. Thus, Niagara is the perfect Romantic park; it fought for justice and equality, it overturned the existing political system, it invited people to experience the sublime and it framed all these under a picturesque lie.

Figure 06: Olmsted dreamed of a Niagara free of industrial traces, where sublime nature was left to thrive, and visitors could enjoy. His Romantic education assisted him in his fight for political, social and environmental justice.

Source: Author’s own work (2021) [Digital collage] 04

Bibliography BIBLIOGRAPHY Articles

Articles Carr Ethan (2015). ‘Olmsted and Scenic Preservation’, Library of American Landscape History, 27 March. Available at: https://lalh.org/olmsted-and-scenic-preservation/ (Accessed: 30 January 2021) Klein Z. Jeff (2018). ‘Heritage Moments: Frederick Law Olmsted and the stroll that saved Niagara’, WBFO, 13 August. Available at: https://news.wbfo.org/post/heritage-moments-frederick-law-olmsted-and-stroll-saved-niagara (Accessed: 30 January 2021) Penner Barbara (2009). ‘NiagaraL it has it all’. Places Journal. September. Available at: https:// placesjournal.org/article/niagara-it-has-it-all/ (Accessed: 6 February 2021)

v Books

Heckescher H. Morrison (2008). Creating Central Park. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hunt D. John (1992) Gardens and the Picturesque: Studies in the History of Landscape Architecture. USA: MIT Press.

Hunt, John Dixon (2000). ‘First Principles or Rudiments’ in J.D. Hunt Greater Perfections: The Practice of Garden Theory.

London: Thames & Hudson MacArthur John (2007). The Picturesque. Architecture, Disgust and Other Irregularities. London; New York: Routledge Marot Sebastien. (2003). Sub-urbanism and the Art of Memory. London: Architectural Association Publications Olmsted L. Frederick (1870). Public Parks and the Enlargement of towns. Reprint. New York: Arno Press; The New York Times, 1970.

O’Malley Thomas et al. (2015). ‘Modernism and Romantic Regeneration in the English Ladscape 1920-1940’ in Modernism and landscape architecture, 1890-1940 edited by Therese O’Malley and Joachim Wolschke-Bulmahn. Washington: National Gallery of Art Roper W. Laura (1973). FLO–A Biography of Frederick Law Olmsted. Baltmore; London: The John Hopkins University Press.

Smithson Robert (1973). ‘Frederick Law Olmsted and the Dialectical Landscape’ in Smithson R. Collected writtings. Berkley, Los Angeles, London: University California Press. Pp. 117-128 Spirn W. Anne (1996). ‘Constructing Nature: The Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted’ in Uncommon Ground. Rethinking the Human place in Nature, edited by Cronor William, London; New York: W. W. Norton & Company Ltd Thomson H.Ian. (2009). ‘Empirisism’. Rethinking Landscape: A Critical Reader. London: Taylor & Francis. pp. 37-48 Urry John (1995). ‘Consuming nature’ in Concsuming places, by J. Urry. London; New York: Routledge

Documentaries & Online Lectures Documentaries & Online lectures

Farovision.org (2016). Frederick Law Olmsted Designing America. National Endowment for the Humanities. Directed by: Hott Lawrence, Garey Diane. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=_pbwem7z4lY&list=PLoTl-oAe0aLDbC7OROiLKbkikMUpoFfZo&index=7&t=2406s (Accessed: 21 November 2020) HarvardGSD (2018). Frederick Law Olmsted Lecture: Aaron Sachs. Available at: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=pmzBB_ZjJvw&list=PLoTl-oAe0aLDbC7OROiLKbkikMUpoFfZo&index=8&t=3108s (Accessed: 27 November 2020) HarvardGSD (2020). Frederick Law Olmsted Lecture: Gunther Vogt. Available at: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=6n1IV5G-3eU&list=PLoTl-oAe0aLDbC7OROiLKbkikMUpoFfZo&index=9 (Accessed: 28 November 2020) Schama Simon (2020). The Romantics and Us with Simon Schama, The Chambers of the Mind.

BBC England. [video file].

Available at: https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/16E7E5E0?bcast=132967322 (Accessed: 26 October 2020)

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The Great Cources (2019). [Online]. Niagara Falls: America’s Oldest State Park. Featuring Joe Yogerst. Available from Kanopy.: https://ucl.kanopy.com/video/niagara-falls-america-s-oldest-state-park (Accessed: 30 January 2021) Vicki Phillipy (2017). Frederick Law Olmsted: The Father of Architecture. American Society of Landscape Architects, Southern California Chapter, Copyright 2007. Available at: https:/ww.youtube.com/watch?v=uHh4HID4aTw (Accessed: 31 january 2020)

Further reading bibliography Further reading bibliography

Anderson Dan (1998) ‘Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove: A Preliminary Report, 1865 by Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903)’. Yosemite Online Library. Available at: https://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/olmsted/report.html (Accessed: 7 February 2021) Olmsted L. Frederick (1852). Walks and Talks of an American Farmer in England. Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press Schama Simon. (2020). The Romantics and Us with Simon Schama, Passions of the People.

BBC England. [video file]. Available at: https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/ prog/16D9DF75?bcast=132916989 (Accessed: 25 October 2020) Schama Simon (2020). The Romantics and Us with Simon Schama, Tribes. BBC England. [video file]. Available at: https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/16F4F18F?bcast=133019015 (Accessed: 29 October 2020)

List of figures LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 01: The Goat island, located in the middle of Niagara river, was the last unspoiled land, when Olmsted launched the Free Niagara Movement. - Farovision.org (2016). Frederick Law Olmsted Designing America. [Film still: 56’40”] National Endowment for the Humanities. Directed by: Hott Lawrence, Garey Diane. Available at: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pbwem7z4lY&list=PLoTl-oAe0aLDbC7OROiLKbkikMUpoFfZo&index=7&t=2406s (Accessed: 21 November 2020) Figure 02: Industrial activity and power plants had already degraded Niagara’s riverside by 19th century. - Niagara County Bicentennial Committee (2009). ‘Welcome to Niagara County Bicentennial Celebration!’. [Historical image] Available at: http://www.niagara2008.com/historical-photo10. html (Accessed: 15 February 2021) Figure 03: Church’s panoramic painting on the edge of Niagara Falls provoked awe for the sublime nature and drew significant attention to the condition of the falls – Church E. Frederick (1857).

Niagara. [Oil on canvas]. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Source: The Art Story Foundation (2021). [Artworks] Available at: https://m.theartstory.org/movement/hudson-river-school/artworks/ (Accessed: 15 February 21) Figure 04: Morisot captures a view of a fashionable Parisian landscape, Lac Inferiur, Bois. Women enjoy the pleasant weather by boating at the park’s lake. – Morisot Berthe (1879). Summer’s Day. [Oil on canvas]. National Gallery. London (2020). [Personal Archive] (Accessed: 20 October 2020) Figure 05: Olmsted’s and Vaux’s design removes any man-made structures surrounding the falls and provides spaces for leisure. The sublime landscape of the falls is framed by a natural-looking landscape - Farovision.org (2016). Frederick Law Olmsted Designing America. [Film still: 40’29”] National Endowment for the Humanities. Directed by: Hott Lawrence, Garey Diane.

Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pbwem7z4lY&list=PLoTl-oAe0aLDbC7OROiLKbkikMUpoFfZo&index=7&t=2406s (Accessed: 21 November 2020) Figure 06: Olmsted dreamed of a Niagara free of industrial traces, where sublime nature was left to thrive, and visitors could enjoy. His Romantic education assisted him in his fight for political, social and environmental justice. – [Digital collage] Author’s own work (2021) Collage components: Farovision.org (2016). Frederick Law Olmsted Designing America. [Film still: 37’50” / 39’18” / 40’29” / 56’40”] National Endowment for the Humanities. Directed by: Hott Lawrence, Garey Diane. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pbwem7z4lY&list=PLoTl-oAe0aLDbC7OROiLKbkikMUpoFfZo&index=7&t=2406s (Accessed: 21 November 2020) Church E. Frederick (1857). Niagara. [Oil on canvas]. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Source: The Art Story Foundation (2021). [Artworks] Available at: https://m.theartstory.org/ movement/hudson-river-school/artworks/ (Accessed: 15 February 21) Morisot Berthe (1879). Summer’s Day. [Oil on canvas]. National Gallery. London (2020).

[Personal Archive] (Accessed: 20 October 2020) Fisher Thomas (2010). ‘Frederick Law Olmsted and the Campaign for Public Healthl’.

Places Journal. November. Available at: https://placesjournal.org/article/frederick-law-olmstedand-the-campaign-for-public-health/ (Accessed: 10 February 2021)

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