Olmsted, Frederick Law (1822–1903)

Frederick law olmsted was one of the principal architects and landscapers of the early modern United States. Combining his design work with research and writing, Olmsted became known as an influential force in forging the combination of aesthetic and technical issues that have become established as the dominant paradigm in urban and rural planning concerns. Popularly, he is more wellknown for being the designer of such famed parks and open areas as the lands surrounding the Capitol Building in Washington D.C., Central Park in New York City, and the Niagara Reservation near Niagara Falls. Generations of Americans have benefited from the recreational and health-promotional opportunities provided by parks envisioned and planned by Olmsted.

Olmsted's career encompassed foreign travel and an investigation into the slave trade in ...