The Corliss Knapp Engle slide collection contains 35mm slides of gardens, garden features, flower shows, and flora photographed by Corliss Engle, a self-taught photographer and horticulturalist. Much of the collection is comprised of photographic documentation of numerous private and public gardens that she visited throughout the United States. Of particular note are images of Engle's own garden in Brookline, Massachusetts, spanning three decades; they provide excellent insight into the development and evolution of a garden over time. Portions of the collection highlight Engle's involvement with the Garden Club of America and the GCA's Garden History and Design Committee. The collection also includes various notes, lecture scripts, brochures, programs and articles on garden and plant-related themes generated or compiled by Corliss Knapp Engle.
Biographical / Historical:
Corliss Knapp Engle (1936-2009), born in Flushing, New York, was a passionate horticulturalist who was closely involved with numerous groups and initiatives relating to horticulture and gardens. As a resident of Brookline, Massachusetts, she was actively involved in the Chestnut Hill Garden Club and the Tree Planting Committee of the Town of Brookline. Corliss Engle was also involved, in varying capacities, in the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, and the Garden Club of America (GCA). She was a trustee for both the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the New England Wild Flower Society. Engle was a recipient of a GCA Achievement Award and four GCA Beattie Medals. The Begonia Society honored her by naming a begonia in her name. As a self-taught photographer she was instrumental in developing a photography program for the Garden Club of America and was particularly involved with the GCA's Garden History and Design Committee which is instrumental in the documentation of gardens for the Garden Club of America Collection at the Archives of American Gardens. Engle's writings and photographs were published in local and national publications including the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts' publication, "Mayflower," and the "White House History" journal.
General:
Collection has been processed.
Related Materials:
Slide images of various plants photographed by Corliss Engle are located at The Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
Images of the Arnold Arboretum photographed by Corliss Engle including those featured in a 2006 exhibition, The Arnold Arboretum Captured in Time: 1982-1987, are located at the Horticulture LIbrary at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.
Separated Materials:
Slide images of various Garden Club of America meetings and events photographed by Corliss Engle are located at the Garden Club of America in New York, New York.
Provenance:
A representative of the Chestnut Hill (Mass.) Garden Club donated the collection on the club's behalf to the Archives of American Gardens in May 2013.
Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, [Collection title]
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
