Daniel Burnham honors Frederick Law Olmsted

On March 25, 1893, a gala dinner was held in honor of Daniel Burnham in Chicago.

But when Burnham took the stage, he chose to honor someone else instead: 

“Each of you knows the name and genius of him who stands first in the heart and confidence of American artists, the creator of your own parks and many other city parks... —Frederick Law Olmsted.”

Then he added:

 “An artist, he paints with lakes and wooded slopes; with lawns and banks and forest-covered hills; with mountain sides and ocean views. 

He should stand where I do tonight, not for the deeds of later years alone, but for what his brain has wrought and his pen has taught for half a century.” 

A collective roar went up among those assembled.

paraphrased from:  “Genius of Place: The Life Of Frederick Law Olmsted” by Justin Martin

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