Identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
This is a beautifully preserved first edition of a seminal landscape design reference book published in 1937. Written by the prolific architectural historian Harold Donaldson Eberlein and Cortlandt Van Dyke Hubbard, it features 233 rich illustrations and detailed architectural drawings by Marian Greene Barney. It serves as an elegant blueprint of the estate gardening movement that flourished in the early 20th century.
Story
Published in 1937 by J. B. Lippincott Company, this book was authored by Harold Donaldson Eberlein and Cortlandt Van Dyke Hubbard, notable architectural historians of the era. It captures the essence of the American estate gardening movement during the Great Depression era and features illustrations by Marian Greene Barney. The secondary market for early 20th-century landscape and architectural design books is niche but steady.
Maker / Origin
Unattributed
Condition & Value
The item is described as beautifully preserved, which is a strong positive for a book from 1937. For vintage books, value is heavily dependent on the integrity of the binding, the presence and condition of the dust jacket, and clean, unmarked pages.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
The secondary market for early 20th-century landscape and architectural design books is niche but steady. Buyers are typically landscape architects, historians, or estate gardening enthusiasts looking for period reference material. While highly rare or signed editions can command significant premiums, standard first editions in good condition trade as accessible decorative or reference volumes.
▲ First edition status of a recognized architectural history reference.
▲ Rich inclusion of 233 illustrations and architectural drawings by Marian Greene Barney.
▲ Described as 'beautifully preserved', which supports the upper end of the vintage book market for this title.
▼ Unverified dust jacket presence — missing dust jackets typically reduce mid-20th-century book values significantly.
Best Venue
List on a broad secondary marketplace like eBay or Etsy, targeting vintage book collectors and gardening enthusiasts. An optimistic list price of $60 to $65 with offers accepted is recommended to capture a realistic clearing price in the $40 to $50 range. Ensure listing photos highlight the binding, title page, and a few of the 233 illustrations.
Upside Potential
If the book retains its original, unclipped dust jacket in excellent condition, or if it contains a verified signature from the authors, the value could shift into the $80-$120 range for specialized collectors.
Also found — market-range context
Surfaced during research but not used to anchor the valuation — wrong form, species, era, or no published price. Shown so the market range around this item is visible.