Gardens for a Beautiful America, 1895-1935

Gate at Casa de Mariposa - actually painted a bright blue-green

When you have more than a few minutes this week, browse through the "lantern slides" of photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston at the Library of Congress website.

Ms Johnston, trained as a fine artist, had 1,130 of her garden photographs transferred to glass, which she then hand-tinted.  She used these slides to give lectures to garden clubs, museums, and horticultural societies from 1915 through the 1930's.

250 of the photographs have been collected into a book, "Gardens for a Beautiful America, 1895-1935" (Acanthus Press, $79).