| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Gray, A Donald |
| Title: | A. Donald Gray Landscape Photographs |
| Dates: | 1920-1940 |
| Extent: | 0.60 linear feet (2 containers) |
| Abstract: | A. Donald Gray (1891-1939) was a landscape architect and designer in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1920-1939. Gray worked briefly with Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., in Brookline, Massachusetts, before establishing a landscape architecture practice in Cleveland. He designed many private gardens and estates for some of the most elite families of Cleveland and its outlying suburbs, including the noted private development of Fairhill Rd. houses in 1931. Gray was also the landscape designer for several public projects, including the Cedar-Central apartments, the first federal public-housing project in the nation, and many of Cleveland's public parks. Perhaps his most notable achievement was the creation of the WPA-funded Horticultural Gardens for the Great Lakes Exposition, 1936-1937, some of which remain on the site north of Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. The gardens were named for Gray as a memorial after his death. Gray took several trips to England, South America, Mexico and elsewhere throughout his career to study the landscaping of great houses and public places. He also contributed a regular gardening column to the Cleveland Press during the mid-1930s. The collection consists of photographs and one album of several estates in the Cleveland and Ohio area, including homes of L.C. Hanna, Robert Lazarus, Tl.L. Sidlo, and R. W. White. Photographers include Margaret Bourke-White. Also included is an album of photographs taken during A. Donald Gray's visit to England in 1925, including an alphabetical location index. |
| PG Number | PG 113 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
A. Donald Gray [Albert Donald Gray] (1891-1939), was a prominent landscape architect, designer, and gardening expert. He operated a profitable landscaping business in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1920-1939. Gray was born in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Gray went on to study at Harvard University and later studied under nationally-known landscape architect, Fredrick Law Olmsted Jr., in the Olmsted Bros. firm in Brookline, Massachusetts. After coming to Cleveland in 1920, Gray soon became the landscape architect of choice for many of Cleveland's most prominent families, including, William S. Halle, Mrs. Leonard C. Hanna, Edwin C. Higbee, Crispen Oglebay, John Sherwin, and the Van Sweringen brothers. In Columbus, Ohio, Gray designed gardens for Simon, Fred, and Robert Lazarus. In 1931, Gray designed landscaping for the homes along Fairhill Road in Cleveland, where he also lived for several years. During The Depression, Gray became involved with work on Works Progress Administration (WPA)-funded projects, including: the Cedar-Center apartments (the nation's first federal public housing projects) and Forest Hill Park. He also designed the chain of Cleveland's Cultural Gardens in Rockefeller Park, and was closely involved with the construction of Cleveland's Metro Parks system. On Jan. 11, 1928, Donald Gray married Florence Ball, daughter of Webb C. Ball, the owner of the Webb C. Ball Jewelry Co. They had one daughter, Virginia, who was born in 1931. The height of Donald Gray's career came in 1936 and 1937, when he designed the WPA-funded Horticultural Gardens for Cleveland's Great Lakes Exposition, when Cleveland celebrated 100 years of incorporation as a city. In 1993, these gardens now known as the A. Donald Gray Memorial Gardens constitute the only remaining part of the exposition on a site north of Cleveland Stadium. During the 1930s, Gray, along with a group of civic-minded citizens, worked on preserving Dunham Tavern from destruction. Located at 6709 Euclid Avenue, Dunham Tavern, built in 1842, was Cleveland's oldest building that remained in its original state. Gray wrote gardening advice columns for The Cleveland Press, Akron Times-Press, and Youngstown Vindicator; as well as articles for several gardening magazines. At the age of 48, A. Donald Gray suffered a sudden, massive heart attack and died on Tuesday morning, May 30, 1939.
The A. Donald Gray Landscape Photographs, 1920-1940, consist of photographs and one album of several estates in the Cleveland and Ohio area, including homes of L.C. Hanna, Robert Lazarus, Tl.L. Sidlo, and R. W. White. Photographers include Margaret Bourke-White. Also included is an album of photographs taken during A. Donald Gray's visit to England in 1925, including an alphabetical location index.
The photograph album contains 188 black and white photographs and measures 12 x 15 inches. The 61 loose black and white photographs measure 11 x 14 inches and smaller.
This collection will be useful to researchers studying the architectural history of Cleveland, Ohio, in the early twentieth century.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult MS 3470 A. Donald Gray Papers; and PG 458 A. Donald Gray Photographs.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] PG 113 A. Donald Gray Landscape Photographs, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
These photographs were removed from MS 3470 A. Donald Gray Papers.
A. Donald Gray Landscape Photographs 1920-1940 |
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| Box | Volume | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Cardboard covered album entitled "Visit to England - 1925" that includes a detailed index arranged alphabetically by location name 1925 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | Landscape photographs of estates in the Cleveland, Ohio, area taken by Margaret Bourke-White ca. 1920-1940 | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | Landscape photographs taken by various prominent photographers ca. 1920-1940 | |||||||||
| 2 | 3 | Landscape photographs with minor emulsion damage ca. 1920-1940 | |||||||||
| 2 | 4 | Landscape photographs with major or total emulsion damage ca. 1920-1940 | |||||||||