André Parmentier
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| André Parmentier | |
 André Parmentier
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| Born | 3 July 1780 Enghien (Belgium) |
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| Died | 27 November 1830 Brooklyn |
| Nationality | American |
André Joseph Ghislain Parmentier, also known as Andrew Parmentier (Enghien (Belgium) 3 July 1780 – Brooklyn 27 November 1830) is the first American landscape architect.
He married Sylvie Parmentier (1793-1882) on 3 May 1813 at Tubize, Belgium.
In England, one of Parmentier's finest works was that of the Italian Gardens, commissioned by Queen Victoria, at the top of the Long Water in Hyde Park, although technical the gardens are actually in Kensington Gardens. The gardens consist of five fountains and a steam powered pump room (which is now a shelter) for the Long Water. The pump room was designed in a Classical style - 3 heads feature above the arches of the building - two females faces flanking a central male face - it is not known who these people are, and what significance they have. The fountains are set in octagonal ponds, with four large ponds surrounding a smaller central pond. Around the edge of the gardens are, in addition to more ideal heads, stone urns and dolphins. The garden wall, at the southern end, which drops down to the Long Water contains water nymphs designed by John Thomas, through which water cascades.
After some bad business adventures in Belgium, and with some help of his brothers, André Parmentier moved to the United States in 1821. He lived in Brooklyn, where he was active in horticulture with a lot of success. One of his creations is a garden of 120.000 m².
In 1828 he published his "Periodical catalogue of fruit & ornamental trees and shrubs, green-house plants, etc.. Cultivated and for sale at The Horticultural and Botanic Garden of Brooklyn, corner of the Jamaica and Flatbush roads, about 2 miles from the city of New-York" With, a.o., a plan and description of the garden.
[edit] References
- William A. Mann (1993). Landscape Architecture: An Illustrated History in Timelines, Site Plans and Biography. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 0471594652.
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