“A cottage & garden, Alaska,” ca. 1909-1920. By National Photo Company, via Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
A similar photo of this cottage was labeled “a sourdough’s home.” The word ‘sourdough’ was slang in Alaska for an oldtimer, probably from the Klondike gold rush. You can click on the image to enlarge it.
O cabbage gardenssummer’s elegysunset survived— Susan Howe, from “Cabbage Gardens”
“Interior of large circus tent,” c. 1907 by F.W. Glasier, via Library of Congress.
. . . and when the circus leaves
the trampled ground will
once more overgrow with grass.— Miroslav Holub, “Dreams“
“Mrs. Harriman [Florence Jaffrey] does [not] burn fences behind her. Washington, D.C. May 27 [,1927].
“In leaving for her new post as American Minister to Norway, Mrs J. Borden Harriman is not burning but leaving her fences behind her. The last time Mrs. Harriman was away from her Capitol home for any length of time she found a load of dirt from the excavation for the new home of the late Raymond T. Baker dumped on her front lawn upon her return. She sued for $23,000 but the case was settled out of court. This time she has had a high fence constructed around her property to prevent a recurrence of the same thing.”
Mrs. Harriman’s complaint said “that on the 22d of April, 1931, the defendants, ‘with force and arms, did break and enter into and upon the said ground of the plaintiff, and trod down, trampled upon, consumed, destroyed, and spoiled the grass, herbage, shrubbery, ornamental trees, then and there growing and being of great value,’ etc.”
Perhaps the fence should be even higher.
Photo by Harris & Ewing; both it and text in quotes via Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Mrs. Harriman’s home was at the intersection of Ridge and Reservoir Roads — I believe in the Pallisades neighborhood (although I haven’t found a Ridge Road that intersects with Reservoir).
Love your neighbor; yet don’t pull down your hedge.
— Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack
Thanks to the blog Living in Kigali for including enclos*ure in their list of “Super Fabulous Rwanda-Related Websites.”
Life itself is the proper binge.
— Julia Child
Today is the centennial of Julia Child’s birth.
The Julia Child rose (appropriately butter-gold ) was bred by Tom Carruth in 2004. It was personally chosen by Child to bear her name. Weeks Roses introduced it to the public in 2006, and it was chosen as one of that year’s AARS winners.
The Julia Child kitchen exhibit will re-open today at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History. It has been closed since January for a move to another part of the museum.
A garden party. . .
Bill Cunningham’s (always) charming fashion video in today’s New York Times, about The Newport Vintage Dance Week — here — made me think of these Library of Congress photos of bygone garden parties.
President and Mrs. Coolidge at White House garden party, June 3, 1926, by National Photo Company.
Click on any thumbnail below to scroll through larger photos of a variety of garden and lawn parties.
enclos*ure 