American landscape design was shaped early on in the 19th century by Jackson Downing and Frederick Law Olmsted. Olmsted's last great project was the laying out of George Vanderbilt's 120,000 acre Biltmore Estate near Asheville.
Their influence spread to the Reynolds' Family estate as well, and Reynolda House Museum of American Art celebrates that legacy in its current exhibition titled A Genius for Place: American Landscapes of the Country Place Era. Reynolda’s video screening Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn, will be Thursday, June 14, at noon with Public Gardens and Trees, and the award-winning series continues Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon through June 28.
David visited Reynolda recently to explore Katherine Reynolds’ detailed and remarkably well-preserved landscape design archives. Director of Marketing & Communications Sarah Smith, and Director of Archives and Library Todd Crumley were his tour guides.
You can enjoy your own private tour of Reynolda on Sunday, June 17 at 2:30pm. Explore areas normally closed to the general public like the kitchens, ice-block air conditioning rooms, the squash court, and areas below the swimming pool. You can also enjoy the view across the lawn to the Lake Katharine wetlands from the former roof garden.
