Vaux, Calvert

Vaux, Calvert

(vôks), 1824–95, American landscape architect, b. London. He emigrated (1850) to the United States, and assisted A. J. DowningDowning, Andrew Jackson,
1815–52, American horticulturist, rural architect, and landscape gardener, b. Newburgh, N.Y. With his brother Charles Downing, 1802–85, he took over the operation of the nursery that his father had established at Newburgh, and c.
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 with the U.S. Capitol grounds and a number of Hudson River estates. Later he worked with Frederick Law OlmstedOlmsted, Frederick Law,
1822–1903, American landscape architect and writer, b. Hartford, Conn. Although his Walks and Talks of an American Farmer in England
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 and with him developed Central ParkCentral Park,
840 acres (340 hectares), the largest park in Manhattan, New York City; bordered by 59th St. on the south, Fifth Ave. on the east, 110th St. on the north, and Central Park West on the west.
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 in New York City, the state reservation at Niagara Falls, N.Y. (now a state park), Prospect Park in Brooklyn, N.Y., and other parks. He made the plans for the Metropolitan Museum and the American Museum of Natural History. His published work includes Villas and Cottages (1857).

Bibliography

See biographical studies by W. Alex and G. B. Tatum (1994) and F. R. Kowsky (1998).

Vaux, Calvert

(1824–95) landscape designer, architect; born in London, England. Emigrating at age 25 to work with Andrew Jackson Downing, he designed country houses and published Villas and Gardens (1852). A pioneer in the public parks movement, he joined Frederick Law Olmsted (1857–72) and together they produced the winning design for New York City's Central Park (1858–76). Vaux also contributed to Brooklyn's Prospect Park. After leaving Olmsted, he designed Ottawa's Parliament grounds, which influenced Canadian landscape design.