This older biography of Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. has stood the test of time and I recommend it.\u00a0 Laura Wood Roper writes in the style of an investigator and reporter.\u00a0 Her book \u201cFLO\u201d, published in 1973, is based on over 20 years of research, including the invaluable input of personal interviews from Frederick Olmsted, Jr. near the end of his life.<\/p>\n
While always the observer, Roper\u2019s wry comments eloquently express her opinions about Olmsted\u2019s personality and those of the people with whom he was associated.\u00a0 She gives a more complete picture than most of Mary Olmsted, who was first the wife of Frederick\u2019s beloved brother John.\u00a0 Following his death, she married Frederick and brought not only three stepchildren, but an immeasurable influence on his career.<\/p>\n
The author is adept at illustrating the qualities in Olmsted that best define his profession: the ability to form a long range vision, and live with it through the scrutiny and compromise to conclusion, or to know when to cut your losses and move on to the next project.\u00a0 As Roper summarizes, \u201cNothing in Olmsted\u2019s correspondence suggests that such failures of influence made him lose heart or doubt the eventual effectiveness of his work.\u201d\u00a0 This quality, even more than the landscapes he left us, may be ultimately what makes the life of Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. so appealing.<\/p>\n
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Excerpted from the Summer 2022 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This older biography of Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. has stood the test of time and I recommend it.\u00a0 Laura Wood Roper writes in the style of an investigator and reporter.\u00a0 Her book \u201cFLO\u201d, published in 1973, is based on over 20 years of research, including the invaluable input of personal interviews from Frederick Olmsted, Jr. near the end of his life. While always the observer, Roper\u2019s wry comments eloquently express her opinions about Olmsted\u2019s personality and those of the people…<\/p>\n