The Garden History & Design Committee of CP&GC and of the Garden Club of America work closely with the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens to document cultivated gardens throughout the country. The committees use photography and research, the study of good design practices, educational and lecture programs, and internships to develop an appreciation of America’s gardens.
In 1987, the GCA donated its “Notable American Parks and Gardens” collection to the Smithsonian Institution, a step of national significance. The collection advanced the study of garden history and design and illustrated the history of many great landscape architects. Enormous in scope – hand-colored glass lantern slides and over 37,000 color slides — became the core of a new Smithsonian collection named the Archives of American Gardens.
The Garden History and Design committee of CP&GC uses the study of good design practices through photography, drawn plans and recorded plant lists to research gardens private gardens in and around Cambridge to the Smithsonian’s exacting standards.