Events and News
Calendar
 February 19, 2008, 7:30 p.m. Annual Meeting: The Man Who Brought Olmsted to Birmingham Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Society Publishes Birmingham Park Letters
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.–January 28, 2008—It's one thing to hear a re-telling of a significant bit of history—like the important genesis of a park system for Birmingham. It’s quite another—more captivating, more human, and more dynamic—to read the proceedings in the words of those who lived and strived to create the park system themselves.
Hand Down Unharmed–Olmsted Files on Birmingham Parks, 1920–1925, new from the Birmingham Historical Society, features 448 pages of intriguing correspondence between Birmingham city leaders and the renowned park-planning firm of Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. (who designed the grounds of the U.S. Capitol and conceived the credo for the National Park system).
“It’s the story of real life,” says Marjorie White, director of the Society and an editor of the volume. “The correspondence reveals the framework of some projects that came to be and others which are only just being enacted today.” In the course of the fascinating series of letters, politicians espouse their own visions, the protagonist dies of a heart attack, and the intentions of all parties emerge as the human element juggles with the proposed plan.
“The Olmsted Brothers firm included premier designers, professionals at their peak,” continues White. “They had worked with the great park systems of America—Boston, Baltimore, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, and more.” Across the nation, the firm tutored individuals and park boards in what parks were and how they should be created and managed. “The Birmingham files constitute one amazing correspondence course—full of relevance and insight for those involved with parks today,” says White.
The new book includes:
- Re-creations of written materials donated to the Library of Congress by Olmsted himself
- Annotations from both senders/recipients of the letters and associates involved in all offices
- Reproductions of telegrams, bills, photographs, and drawings accompanying the correspondence
- Period newspaper accounts of the process
- Biographical sketches of local and national figures involved in the park movement
- An epilogue with a historical overview (including the outcomes of plans and people)
“The major figures in park planning in early 20th century America play largely into this collection of documents,” explains Katie Tipton, co-editor. “Their letters and drawings reveal much of what was considered the height of civic planning during that period.”
Hand Down Unharmed ($30 postpaid) follows the Birmingham Historical Society’s republication of the original park plan produced by the Olmsted firm in 1925 as well as 2006 book The Olmsted Vision–Parks for Birmingham, which analyzes the plan in light of current park projects. All three books are available: order now.
The publication of Hand Down Unharmed will be celebrated with brief talks at the upcoming annual meeting of the Birmingham Historical Society. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held Tuesday, February 19th, at 7:30 p.m. in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Auditorium.
2007 Exhibit
Turning On Alabama-Images and Artifacts from the Alabama Power Company and the Alabama HIstorical Radio Society Collecitons, 1920-1945 is the fall exhibition. See story in November Newsletter.
Annual Reports
News and Newsletters
- February 2008
Society Publishes Park Letters: Hand Down Unharmed–Olmsted
Files on Birmingham Parks, 1920–1925, new from the Birmingham Historical Society, features 448 pages of intriguing correspondence between Birmingham city leaders and the renowned park-planning firm of Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. (who designed the grounds of the U.S. Capitol and conceived the credo for the National Park system). Annual Meeting Salutes Our Hero: M. P. Phillips.
The publication of Hand Down Unharmed will be celebrated with brief
talks at the upcoming annual meeting of the Birmingham Historical Society. Cataloguing School Closures: The Birmingham Board of Education operates 65 schools and is reviewing the closing of scores of historic schools to meet state-mandated financial requirements. Other historic schools been recently closed and remain vacant. Models for Successful Reuse of Historic School Buildings: Since the early 1980s, alumni, educators and corporations have worked with the Birmingham Board to successfully reuse historic school complexes.
- November 2007
Turning On Alabama explores how we got the power to turn on our lights
and how that power is generated and transmitted to our homes, farms, businesses and industries. All Fixed for Falls-Photographs of the Sloss Quarters Gardens. Hand Down Unharmed-Olmsted Files on Birmingham Parks, 1920-1925. The Society’s forthcoming book draws on the brilliant minds of America’s finest park planners and their correspondence with Birmingham park advocates, especially our hero lumber magnate M. P. Phillips.
- May 2007
PRESERVATION WORKS. 2007 Preservation Awards: For the exciting mix of folk art and historic fabric. The Birmingham Museum of Art-Annex: the Alabama Folk Art Gallery at the Young & Vann Building. 1731 First Avenue North. Birmingham. Read about all the Award Winners.
- February 2007
An Evening in Celebration of Parks and People: Looking at Birmingham's Exciting Park Developments and a talk with Tupper Thomas. Feb. 27, 2007.
The Society's Olmsted Project.
The Caldwell of Caldwell Park.
Society News: Endowment Thriving; New Trustees and Officers to be elected.
- December 2006
Celebrating 40 Years of Historic Presevation. The Keynote Address to the Alabama Preservation Conference, By Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation,
Preservation Organizations in Birmingham,
Alabama Historical Commission: 40 Years of Educating and Preserving. By Ellen Mertins, AHC Director of Outreach. (Originally published in and reprinted with permission of DesignAlabama Journal.)
- November 2006
Parks for Birmingham, Putting Flesh on the Bones of Birmingham’s Civil Rights History.
- June 2006
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Movement, Documenting and Listing Movement Churches on the National Register of Historic Places, and more...
- May 2006
Celebrate the 50th of the Movement at an Old Fashioned Movement Meeting
About "The Movement" and the Movement Churches
- February 2006
Revisit The Olmsted Vision and the Annual Meeting and the exhibit at the Botanical Gardens
Phillips High School: Can It Be a National Historic Landmark?
- May 2005
"Restore America": Preservation Week 2005 Activities
2005 Preservation Award Winners
- February 2005
Reflections on Art of the New South: Women Artists of Birmingham - Talks for the Annual Meeting
The Olmsted Vision: announcement of the forthcoming exhibit and publication
Registering Civil Rights Resources
- May 2004
"New Frontiers in Preservation": Preservation Week 2004 Activities
2004 Preservation Award Winners
- February 2004
The Houses We Live In - A Talk by Frances Robb at the Annual Meeting
Let's Hear for "the Ladies" of the Birmingham Art Club
- November 2003
Name That Style!
About the Illustrator of Birmingham Homes: Cheryl Morgan
Birmingham Illustrated: The Variety of Styles in the Magic City
Quick. How many house styles can you name in the Birmingham area?
- May 2003
"Cities, Suburbs and Countryside": Preservation Week 2003 Activities
2003 Preservation Award Winners
- February 2003
Theatrical Tales to be Told at the Little-Virginia Samford Theatre - Talks for the Annual Meeting
Birmingham Parks and Parkways: You Don't Know What You Have
The Little Theater - A Brief History
- November 2002
Maps from the Collection of Rucker Agee Exhibition
Rucker Agee: The Man Behind the Maps
- May 2002
"Preserving the Spirit of Place": Preservation Week 2002 Activities
2002 Preservation Award Winners
- February 2002
Motor on Over to the Motorsports Museum for the Annual Meeting
All Jazzed Up - J.L.Lown's book on Birmingham Jazz Greats
Motorcycle Mania - a look at the Barber Motorsports Museum
- November 2001
Discover Downtown Anew: Society Reissues The Discovery Tour
The Birmingham Public Library Archives Celebrates Twenty-five Years
Digging Deep-The Collections of the Birmingham Public Library Archives
Title That Treasure (architectural details of city center buildings)
- May 2001
"Renew, Restore, Rediscover Historic Schools": Preservation Week 2001 Activities
Powell School and its Honoree-James P. Powell, Birmingham's First Elected Mayor and Friend of Education
A Community Guide to Saving Older Schools
Alabama Architecture: Alice Bowsher's new book
- November 2000
Aspiration Attained - Birmingham's Historic Houses of Worship published and exhibited
Title That Treasure (churches and synagogues)
- November 1999
Vive Vulcan!: Long Live Our City Symbol - an exhibit and publication
National Trust for Historic Preservation lists Vulcan as an American Treasure
4th-6th Grade Teachers Receive 3,000 Vive Vulcan Packets
Vulcan and the Society
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