Abstract
Edouard F. André (1840-1911) was a leading landscape architect and horticulturist of the late 19th century. The Edouard André letters (1886-1905) reflect the decision of Charles Sprague Sargent to have the illustrations of Silva of North America engraved and printed in Paris.
Dates
- Creation: 1886-1912
General Physical Description note
(1 box)
Terms of Access
This collection is open for research. Researchers seeking to examine archival materials are strongly encouraged to make an appointment. The Director, or an office of origin, may place restrictions on the use of some or all of its records. The extent and length of the restriction will be determined by the Director, office of origin, and the Archivist and will be enforced equally for all researchers.
Terms of Use
The copyright is held by The President and Fellows of Harvard College for the Arnold Arboretum Archives of Harvard University. The copyright on some materials in the collection may be held by the original author or the author's heirs or assigns. Researchers are responsible for obtaining written permission from the holder(s) of copyright and the Arnold Arboretum Archives prior to publishing any quotations or images from materials in this collection.
Photocopies may be made at the discretion of the Arnold Arboretum Archives staff. Permission to make photocopies does not constitute permission to reproduce or publish materials outside the bounds of the fair use guidelines.
Extent
0.25 linear feetThe Edouard André letters, 1886-1905, reflect the decision of Charles Sprague Sargent to have the illustrations of Silva of North America engraved and printed in Paris. André, the famous French landscape designer, did Sargent the personal favor of arranging, negotiating, and supervising these Silva engravings. The letters include the details of these transactions, and reveal a strong kinship based on their mutual respect for each other’s writings and significant contributions to horticulture. In the letter of 1912 the son of Edouard, Rene André describes his father’s herbarium collection of 14,207 specimens and kindly seeks offers from Sargent for the collection Sargent’s reply is included here on page 5. For further analysis of the André letters and biographical information see, Arnoldia vol. 54 #2 1994 pp.11-19 “Mon cher ami: The Letters of Edouard André to Charles Sprague Sargent” by Phyllis Andersen.
Biographical note
Edouard F. André (1840-1911) was a leading landscape architect and horticulturist of the late 19th century. Born in Bourges, France, André, the son of a nurseryman, studied with his father and apprenticed with the municipal horticulturist of Angers. Young Edouard spent a year at the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, and at the age of 20 was appointed head gardener of the City of Paris.
André participated in the design team that laid out parks and boulevards that transformed Paris into a model modern city. His planting of the Parc des Buttes Chaumont became his signature piece; his work transformed a municipal dump and gallows site into a spectacular park. In 1866, André won an international competition for the design of Sefton Park, a large urban design in Liverpool, England including adjacent boulevards and building sites. He went on to design numerous parks and gardens across Europe including the transformation of the Citadel of Luxumbourg into a large public garden and the creation of the public garden of Monte Carlo as a showcase for tropical plants. His design philosophy, which has been compared to that of F.L. Olmsted, is summed up in L’Art des Jardins, published in 1879.
Monsieur André was a productive horticulturist as well. In 1875, he was sent by the government of France on an expedition to South America that collected 3,400 specimens. He maintained an experimental nursery at his country home, and wrote numerous monographs, with particular expertise on bromeliads. André edited “L’Illustration Horticole” and the “Revue Horticole”. In 1892 he was appointed the first Professor of Horticultural and Landscape Architecture at the National School of Horticulture.
Provenance
The Edouard André letters were acquired during André’s correspondence with Arnold Arboretum Director, Charles Sprague Sargent, and transferred to the Archives after its establishment in 1984.
Processing Information note
Mary Harrison and Carol David, October 1995. Edited by Sheila Connor. Revised by Kayleigh Hinckley, 2011.
Topical
- Title
- I B-1 EA
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Liz Francis
- Date
- 09/09/2013
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- ajp00020
Repository Details
Part of the Arnold Arboretum Archives Repository
The Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library is a specialized collection devoted to the study of temperate woody plants. We collect works on botany, horticulture, floras, urban forestry and taxonomy. The library contains more than 25,000 volumes and 40,000 photographs, and includes an archive that both documents the Arboretum's history and is a repository for 19th, 20th, and 21st century horticultural and botanical collections.