Thomas Mawson

Book excerpt: Widely regarded as a master landscape architect, Thomas Mawson (1881-1933) began designing gardens in the 1890s. Though he came from humble beginnings, he was soon the most sought-after garden and landscape designer of the day and could name crowned heads of Europe as his clients and friends, as well as self-made industrialists such as Lord Leverhulme and Andrew Carnegie. He developed his distinctive style in the gardens of England's Lake District, where his genius allowed his creations to open out into the countryside. Now, this full-scale biography examines the brilliance that still endures in his landscapes and designs. Present both in private gardens and civic spaces, Mawson's unique talents have influenced garden designers and landscape architects for nearly a century. His widespread legacy is given the attention it deserves in this beautifully illustrated book by renowned architecture historian Janet Waymark.