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HAPPPY SOLSTICE 2015

Tuesday, December 22, 2015 | Posted by lalh

2014-12-05 12.37.18

Dear Friends of LALH,

On this, the shortest day of the year, I wanted to share a photo taken last December, just as the winter sun was setting. I was in Madrid for an ICOMOS conference, meeting with representatives from Mexico, Italy, Japan, France, and other nations who had gathered to discuss heritage landscapes. How do we define them? How do we take care of them? Not surprisingly, we found common ground again and again—from the paths of Parque del Buen Retiro to the agave fields of Colombia to the slopes of the Berkshire mountains of Western Massachusetts.

It is gratifying that the work of the Library of American Landscape History is contributing to an international conversation about the importance of place. Our expanding list of books, exhibitions, and films also helps stewards of American landscapes better understand the sites under their care and raises awareness of the significance of these places for the constituencies who use them.

Such exhaustive work is time-consuming and, as a result, costly. We are profoundly grateful to the people who make it possible—people like you who care about the history of landscape design and understand the value of protecting and sustaining important North American places for future generations. On behalf of the board of directors, advisors, authors, editors, and designers who work with LALH, thank you.

Here’s to the changing of the light.

With gratitude and warm wishes for the new year,