The Man Who Loved Trees, Works by Frank A. Waugh
This exhibit, curated by Professor Emerita Annaliese Bischoff, ASLA, shares original drawings and etchings by Frank A. Waugh (1869-1943). It will be shown in the Library from June 9th through August 25th, 2026.
This exhibit, curated by Professor Emerita Annaliese Bischoff, ASLA, shares original drawings and etchings by Frank A. Waugh (1869-1943).
Landscape architect and noted pioneer in the field of native planting design, Frank A. Waugh authored over 20 books and 300 articles about his passion, trees and landscape. Late in life he took up etching so he could share portraits of them. Waugh founded the landscape gardening program in 1903 at the Massachusetts Agricultural College, what is now the Department of Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning at UMass Amherst.
In his time Waugh published over 30 books and 300 articles, many about appreciating the landscape. Through his approach to native planting design, his work helped advance concepts of modern ecology, which support contemporary sustainability concepts. He was honored with prestigious George Robert White Medal of Honor in 1941 by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Shortly after his death, his many significant contributions were recognized by the establishment of the Frank A. Waugh Arboretum on the Amherst campus in 1944. This living legacy continues to serve as a landscape for learning today. Waugh created over 225 etchings, many celebrating trees in the landscape, as well as an unknown number of drawings and photographs for a book he planned about tree portraits, but one that was never published. Waugh believed that everybody could readily appreciate the beauty of a tree, a gateway to appreciating beauty in art and nature. His etchings, ink drawings, and photographs provide a window into the world of Waugh’s landscapes. The works selected here begin with images of the working landscape, continue with images of the beautifully curated as well as pristine native landscapes. The ink drawing entitled ‘Hope’ illustrates Waugh’s dry sense of humor. Specific trees which still exist today conclude this exhibit.
Two articles by Waugh inspired the organization of this Trees and Mills exhibit: “Drawing Trees” (American Forests, November 1942) and “A Fading Remnant: Etchings of Old Sawmills” (Survey Graphic, July 1939).
You can find out more about the remarkable story of Waugh’s life and this collection in The Man Who Loved Trees by Annaliese Bischoff (Koehler Books, 2024) available at Amherst Books and the UMass University Store, as well as online: bit.ly/497/RvcF