One of the major features of the Larz and Isabel Anderson estate, now the Larz Anderson Park, in Brookline, Mass., was a large garden complex that included an elaborate greenhouse designed by the New York firm of Lord & Burnham.  The greenhouse included a round atrium, rumored to be the venue for wintertime tea parties, and two rectangular wings. The greenhouse was always full of flowers, including lilies, hibiscus, and daffodils that bloomed even in the midst of winter.

The rare color film footage presented here was made by the father-in-law of the estate’s head gardener and superintendent, Duncan Finlayson.  It provides extraordinary documentation of Larz and Isabel’s devotion to their gardens.

These and many more details about the Anderson estate “Weld” are included in the forthcoming book Larz and Isabel Anderson: Wealth and Celebrity in the Gilded Age by Stephen T. Moskey (iUniverse LLC).

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Credit:
This film has been edited and produced with the
permission of the Finlayson family.
This presentation and accompanying text is a
Copyright © 2015 by Meadowshire Communications.
Photo of the Anderson garden complex,
with cold frames in the foreground
Country Life in America (March 1905)