April 26, 2022 marked the 200 anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted, the master designer of public parks and a founder of the field of landscape architecture. Join historian and filmmaker Laurence Cotton (originator of and consulting producer to the PBS special “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America”) as he does a deep dive into the remarkable life and career of the Renaissance-man Olmsted—writer, philosopher, social reformer, advocate for the preservation of natural scenery, and creator of some of the most beautiful parks and gardens in all of North America.

In his presentation, Cotton will talk about the influences of design traditions, aesthetics and philosophies that influenced Olmsted’s thought—including English garden design, the Hudson River School and Transcendentalism. Cotton will also give a visual tour of representative masterful landscapes designed by Olmsted Senior, as well as his two sons, the Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm—the legacy of which can be seen across all of North America, including a visual tour of Olmsted landscapes from Long Island to Washington, D.C.