Archives of American Gardens

Untermyer Family Slide Collection, ca. 1940

Summary

Collection ID:
AAG.UNT
Creators:
Untermyer, Samuel, II
Lord And Burnham
Waring, John, b. 1820
Tilden, Samuel J., 1814-1886
Untermyer, Samuel, 1858-1940
Untermyer, Frank
Bosworth, Welles, 1869-1966
Freelander, Joseph H., 1870-1943
Hatch, John Davis
Samuel Untermyer Park and Gardens
Dates:
circa 1940
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.25 Cubic feet
119 glass 35mm slides; 1 photographic print (2 1/2 X 3 1/2 in).
2" x 2"
Repository:
The Untermyer Family Slide Collection includes 119 glass 35mm slides documenting the grounds of Samuel Untermyer's estate, Greystone. In addition to general garden views, the images depict architectural features, vistas from the property, and interior shots of Greystone's greenhouse. The slides are not captioned or dated. The photographer was Samuel Untermyer II, the grandson of Samuel Untermyer.

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
Samuel Untermyer was born in 1858 in Lynchburg, Virginia, the son of German immigrants. Untermyer was a New York lawyer who began practicing law at 18 and was admitted to the bar in New York in 1879. He established himself as a corporation attorney and became known for corporate mergers and arranging financing for industries and real estate developments. His most famous merger was with Utah Copper Co. and the Nevada Consolidated Companies which created Bethlehem Steel. Untermyer purchased Greystone in 1899 at an auction of the estate of Samuel J. Tilden.
The first owner of Greystone was John Waring, a hat manufacturer, from Yonkers, New York. The house was named Greystone for the grey granite that was quarried nearby and used to construct the house. John Davis Hatch designed the residence.
Samuel J. Tilden, a lawyer and former governor of New York (1874-1876) and unsuccessful Presidential candidate against Rutherford B. Hayes (1876) bought Greystone for a summer residence in 1879. Tilden constructed a large greenhouse complex including a Lord & Burnham greenhouse. Tilden died in 1886 leaving the bulk of his estate to what was later to become the New York Public Library. His two nephews contested the will, and it took ten years to resolve the estate.
Untermyer owned Greystone from 1899-1940. He hired the architect Joseph H. Freelander to remodel the mansion. The estate was 150 acres and famous for its Beaux-Arts gardens designed by William Welles Bosworth. Bosworth's gardens included the Greek Garden; a long staircase, known as the Vista, with a Hudson River view; a rock garden with an overlook called the Eagle's Nest; and an Italian-style vegetable garden constructed as five large terraces. At Untermyer's death in 1940, the estate was divided and sixteen acres donated to the city of Yonkers as "Samuel Untermyer Park and Gardens."

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access note
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.
Conditions Governing Use note
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.
Preferred Citation Note
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Untermyer Family Slide Collection

Related Materials
Three photographic prints of Greystone in the Alfred Branam manuscript.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Gardens -- New York -- Yonkers Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Orchids Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sundials Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Greenhouses Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rock gardens Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pergolas Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rose gardens Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Vista Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Vegetable gardening Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
New York (State) -- Yonkers Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Greystone (Yonkers, New York) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives of American Gardens
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