Winner of the Ruth Emery Award by the Victorian Society of America (2008) Born in Switzerland, Jacob Weidenmann emigrated to the United States in 1856 at the age of twenty-seven after obtaining college-level diplomas in art, architecture, and engineering. The only landscape architect in America so educated, Weidenmann quickly gained a reputation for his excellent design and brilliant solutions to complex engineering and architectural challenges. He developed an important collaboration with Frederick Law Olmsted and became a leading innovator in the field, helping to set standards and design principles for the profession. Based on four decades of research by author Rudy J. Favretti, this is the first comprehensive biography of this major artist, covering his life and career in-depth, and illuminating Weidenmann's importance in defining his profession for future practitioners. Featuring over fifty illustrations, this oversized volume places Jacob Weidenmann in the context of his time, place, and art, and locates him in the pantheon of nineteenth-century designers.

"For over a century, Jacob Weidenmann's eminence as a landscape architect has been veiled in a cloud of obscurity. One reason for this regrettable void is that his career was entwined with those of several other practitioners of the nineteenth century, particularly that of his famous friend, Frederick Law Olmsted. Scholars have found difficulty in disentangling these relationships, and in determining which of them can be credited to Weidenmann." "Favretti has achieved this mission after many years of arduous research. This volume presents an account of Weidenmann's life (1829-1893) with particular emphasis on his distinguished career. His practice began in New York and the surrounding region immediately after his migration from Switzerland in 1856. Two of his grandest projects remain in Hartford, Connecticut - Bushnell Park and Cedar Hill Cemetery - both still faithful to his plan and still in use. The Grand Stair Plaza, at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, stands as a monument to his work in the Midwest." "Weidenmann's nineteen year alliance with Olmsted is carefully recorded, as are his own private commissions and numerous writings. Each commission is brought to life with client anecdotes, and most are well illustrated with plans, sketches, and drawings. Weidenmann's role as a pioneer in establishing the newly emerging profession of landscape architecture is carefully documented. His advocacy for the establishment of academic programs in the field laid the foundation for accredited landscape architecture schools at our leading universities." "Jacob Weidenmann, Pioneer Landscape Architect, is thoroughly researched and contains a complete bibliography and index. The book is 192 pages in length, with 24 color illustrations, 22 duotones, and 10 black and white plans and sketches."--Jacket.