Belle Isle After One Year (1884)

Belle Isle: After One Year (1884) is a book written by Frederick Law Olmsted, an American landscape architect, who is considered the father of American landscape architecture. The book is a detailed account of the transformation of Belle Isle, a small island located in the Detroit River, Michigan, after one year of Olmsted's involvement in its design and development.In the book, Olmsted provides a comprehensive analysis of the island's natural features, including its topography, vegetation, and water resources. He then goes on to describe the various improvements he made to the island, such as the construction of roads, bridges, and buildings, as well as the planting of trees and shrubs to create a more natural and aesthetically pleasing environment.Olmsted also discusses the social and cultural significance of Belle Isle, highlighting its role as a public park and recreational space for the people of Detroit. He emphasizes the importance of creating public spaces that are accessible to all, regardless of social or economic status, and describes how Belle Isle was designed to meet this goal.Overall, Belle Isle: After One Year (1884) is a fascinating account of the transformation of a small island into a beautiful and functional public park, and provides valuable insights into Olmsted's philosophy of landscape architecture and his approach to designing public spaces.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.