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Dumbarton Oaks Garden and Landscape History Resources

Resources on the history and development of the garden and landscape at Dumbarton Oaks with an emphasis on the work of Beatrix Farrand and the stewardship of her design over the last century.

Resources compiled by..

Thaïsa Way, Resident Program Director for Garden and Landscape Studies
Wendy Johnson, Cataloger
Anatole Tchikine, Curator of Rare Books, Garden and Landscape Studies

Guide created by Alyson Williams, Reader Services Librarian

Dumbarton Oaks Garden

Virtual tour of the Dumbarton Oaks Garden

Garden History

Farrand, Beatrix & Diane Kostial McGuire. Beatrix Farrand's Plant Book for Dumbarton Oaks. Washington: Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, 1980.
The Bliss Album of Garden Photographs
Garden Perspective from the 75th Anniversary Blog An online exhibit to accompany an installation of archival and contemporary photographs of the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens in the Catalogue House, on view beginning November 20, 2015.
Garden Archives
Garden Archives: Correspondence
Garden Archives: Drawings and Photographs
Garden Archives: Biographies
Garden Archives: Maps and Surveys
Garden Archives: Additional Designs and Sketches
Garden Archives: Contemporary Art Installations
Garden Archives: Garden Organization and Layout and Chronology of Garden Names
Garden Archives: Correspondence Index

Rare Book Collection

Dumbarton Oaks History

The History of Dumbarton Oaks
Dumbarton Oaks Historical Records
Overview of Institutional Records
Dumbarton Oaks Oral History Project
“From the Archives”
A monthly feature of the Dumbarton Oaks newsletter, “The Oaks News."
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
75th anniversary exhibits
The Underworld Courier: An Early Dumbarton Oaks Newsletter
Annual Reports, 1989-2019
Historical Papers
Papers of Robert Woods Bliss and Mildred Barnes Bliss, approximately 1860-1969
Architectural plans and drawings

Harvard Resources

External Resources

Garden Images

Arbor Terrace

photo by Sandy Kavalier

Arbor Terrace

photo by Sandy Kavalier

Cherry Hill

photo by Sandy Kavalier

Forsythia Dell

photo by Sandy Kavalier

Finial, Green Garden

photo by Sandy Kavalier

Lover's Lane Pool

photo by Sandy Kavalier

Mélisande's Allée

photo by Sandy Kavalier

Mildred and Robert Bliss

photo by Sandy Kavalier

North Vista

photo by Sandy Kavalier