Often referred to as “landscape art under glass,” Jens Jensen’s revolutionary 1908 design of the Garfield Park Conservatory is a poetic interpretation of his beloved Midwestern landscape as he imaged it in prehistoric times. And the Conservatory is at the center of a larger story: how nature, urban design, and horticulture helped to shape one of Chicago’s most interesting neighborhoods. The co-authors of this new book are the historian of the Chicago Park District and the consulting landscape historian and director of the Jens Jensen Legacy Project. Their centennial history covers everything from the history of the conservatory and Garfield Park to the revival of the surrounding community.

Julie Sniderman Bachrach is an accomplished author.  In addition to Inspired by Nature, she wrote the award-winning The City in a Garden: A Photographic History of Chicago Parks, published in 2001 and awarded by the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2003.  She is a Historian with the Chicago Park District, and just this month, she was awarded by the Cultural Landscape Foundation their Stewardship Award, which is a national award for her dedication towards raising awareness of landscape architecture and the parks.

Jo Ann Nathan is a consulting landscape historian and the founding director of the Jens Jensen Legacy Project. The Jens Jensen Legacy Project educates and informs the public about the legacy and vision of Jens Jensen, a master of American landscape architecture and raises awareness about landscape design and the Jensen legacy.

Recorded Saturday, June 14, 2008 at The Newberry Library.