This past summer I had the pleasure of visiting the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden in Seal Harbor, Maine. On a crisp summer morning I arrived early (having secured entry on-line) and was gratified to be one of the first visitors to enter the South Gate. Ahead of me lay the Spirit Path, its gravel patterns intact.
For one brief moment I stood alone in the center of the lawn looking towards the Moon Gate gazing at the Buddha Shakyamuni. Marveling at the mystical convergence of eastern and western culture that created this magical place, I was grateful for the opportunity to experience its beauty.
As I read The Rockefeller Family Gardens: An American Legacy I learned that David Rockefeller, who passed away in March 2017 at the age of 101, had bequeathed the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden, along with several other properties, to the Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve. His commitment to its stewardship and to the preservation of the garden for the public’s use and enjoyment is part of the enduring, philanthropic story of the Rockefeller Family celebrated in The Rockefeller Family Gardens: An American Legacy.
Photo by Larry Lederman and text by Cynthia Bronson Altman from The Rockefeller Family Gardens: An American Legacy. Courtsey of The Monacelli Press.
Within its pages photographer Larry Lederman showcases Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate located thirty miles from New York City in the Hudson River Valley and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden, capturing their enduring beauty throughout the seasons with artistic intimacy. His focus, on the geometry of the designs and processional movement through space is augmented by a fascination with light and shadow. With a lyrical expression, Lederman implores the reader to experience the ephemeral quality of both gardens as an artifact of time and memory.
Photo by Larry Lederman from The Rockefeller Family Gardens: An American Legacy. Courtsey of The Monacelli Press.
A beaux-arts masterpiece built by John D. Rockefeller, Sr., the two-hundred and fifty-acre Kykuit, whose name is from the Dutch word for lookout, sits within a majestic landscape overlooking the Hudson River. A series of formal gardens, developed by three generations of the Rockefeller family, are embellished with nearly eighty works of twentieth-century European and American sculpture, added by Nelson Rockefeller.
Photo by Larry Lederman and text by Cynthia Bronson Altman from The Rockefeller Family Gardens: An American Legacy. Courtsey of The Monacelli Press.
A Japanese garden, created in 1908 and expanded in the 1960’s, was influenced by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller’s interest in Asian culture. Their interests later informed the creation of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller garden at The Eyrie, the family’s summer retreat in Maine where they worked collaboratively with celebrated landscape designer Beatrix Farrand.
Photos by Larry Lederman from The Rockefeller Family Gardens: An American Legacy. Courtsey of The Monacelli Press.
Lederman’s association with Kykuit (he lives close by and photographed it over multiple years) provides a unique opportunity to explore its gardens through his singular vision. According to the introduction this is the first time that extensive images of the Japanese Garden have been published and its serenity and seasonal qualities are beautifully depicted in photographs which contrast the rich autumnal colors of fall with the subtle shades of spring.
Photo by Larry Lederman from The Rockefeller Family Gardens: An American Legacy. Courtsey of The Monacelli Press.
Accompanying essays include an introduction by Dominque Browning, former editor of House & Garden Magazine, Todd Forest, Vice-President for Horticulture and Living Collections at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Cynthia Bronson Altman, curator of the collections at Kykuit and Cassie Banning, manager of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden. Each brings their personal insight into the history and relevance of these remarkable gardens to a contemporary audience while sharing details about their design, management and maintenance.
Photos by Larry Lederman from The Rockefeller Family Gardens: An American Legacy. Courtsey of The Monacelli Press.
A site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, under the stewardship of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund at the Pocantico Center, Kykuit serves as a community resource and offers a wide variety of public access through the museum visitation program, lectures, cultural events and artist residencies. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden is open by reservation only and these can be made through the Land and Garden Preserve.
Photos by Larry Lederman from The Rockefeller Family Gardens: An American Legacy. Courtsey of The Monacelli Press.
The Rockefeller Family Gardens: An American Legacy
By Larry Lederman (photographs), Dominque Browning, Cynthia Bronson Altman, Todd Forest and Cassie Banning: The Monacelli Press, 2017
This review appeared in Leaflet A Massachusetts Horticultural Society Publication, February, 2018
Copyright © 2017 Patrice Todisco — All Rights Reserved
