Title: Franz A. Aust Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1913-1966 (bulk 1913-1943)

Creator:

• Aust, Franz A., 1885-1963

Call Number: Mss 144; Micro 1138; PH 3899 (7)

Quantity: 0.2 cubic feet (1 archives box), 5 reels of microfilm (35 mm), and 37 drawings

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers, mainly 1913-1943, of Franz A. Aust, a University of Wisconsin professor of landscape architecture, consisting of speeches, radio talks, articles, and correspondence. The writings relate to interests in the fields of landscape design, rural planning, horticulture and gardening, roadside development and soil conservation, outdoor advertising, and aesthetics. Additional correspondence and related material relate to his early career at the University of Illinois under Wilhelm Miller, his long friendship with noted landscape architect Jens Jensen, and his role in the American Rural Planning Association, the Wisconsin Friends of Our Native Landscape, and the Wisconsin Roadside Development Council. Also included are a few landscape plans, some course materials, and miscellany. The majority of the papers are available only on microfilm. The drawings are not on the microfilm.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00144

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

Landscape architect Franz A. Aust was born in Defiance, Ohio on May 10, 1885. He studied at the State School of Science at Wahpeton, North Dakota (1904-1906) and then at the University of Minnesota, receiving an undergraduate degree (1908) and a master's degree (1910). His area of specialization at that time was physics, and he was for a time an instructor in that department at Minnesota. From 1911 to 1913 he was a student of landscape design at the University of Michigan. After receiving his master's degree, Aust worked briefly on the Capitol grounds at St. Paul and on the Historic Sibley Home at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. From 1913 to 1915 he was an instructor in landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, working with Wilhelm Miller and L. E. Foglesong. In 1915 Aust received an appointment as associate professor of landscape design in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Wisconsin. He continued in this capacity until his retirement in 1943.

This brief resumé, however, does not indicate the full impact of Aust's career. As the result of his broad understanding of landscape architecture--a personal philosophy that embraced horticulture, aesthetics, urban and rural planning, conservation, and ecology--and the University's commitment to outreach programs, Aust's influence included not only his students at the University and his professional colleagues but also a large segment of the state's population. Throughout his career Aust wrote and spoke widely. Many of his talks were carried to a large audience of Wisconsin residents by state educational radio.

Some of Aust's professional associations included membership in the American Civic Association and the Association of City Planners. In 1919 he was a founder of the American Rural Planning Association. From 1936 through 1942 he was chairman of the Committee on Slope Erosion Control and a member of the Roadside Development Committee of the National Research Council's Highway Research Board. He also served as secretary of the Wisconsin Friends of Our Native Landscape (1920-1943) and managing editor of its Our Native Landscape.

Aust's interests lay not only with the theoretical aspects of his profession, but also with its practical application, and he was active as a private landscape designer and consultant. Some of his most notable design work concerned the University campus (1915-1942), the Arboretum (1932-1942), Greendale Housing Project (1936-1938), Nakoma neighborhood (1920-1929), and the Garden Home Housing Project in Superior (1939-1942).

Aust died on October 21, 1963. He was survived by his wife (the former Mabel Armstrong, whom he had married in 1914) and their three children.

The Aust Papers are a small collection which relate to most of the areas of his professional interest, although none of these topics can be considered fully documented. Most complete are the files of speeches, radio talks, articles, and related correspondence. Less extensive, although nevertheless of considerable research interest, is correspondence concerning his activities in professional organizations such as the Wisconsin Friends of Our Native Landscape and his close relationship with noted colleagues such as Jens Jensen and Wilhelm Miller. Teaching material and information on University departmental matters are incomplete and fragmentary. A few files relate to his consulting work, although the practical aspects of his design work are not represented.

The collection originally consisted of a large volume of deteriorating, high acid paper. As a result, the papers were microfilmed to preserve their intellectual content and the majority of the originals destroyed. Retained in paper form after microfilming were original letters received from Jens Jensen (many of which could not be dated precisely). Some of the files and the drawings were not microfilmed and are available in paper form.

The files are arranged as biographical material, correspondence and subject files, speeches and writings, miscellany, and drawings.

The Correspondence and Subject Files consist of correspondence and a small quantity of related material. The files are arranged alphabetically by subject, although the series is begun by a file of general, chronological letters. Much of the correspondence pertains to lectures and speeches and to the publication of his articles, although a few files concern teaching and consulting work. Especially notable here is the correspondence with his friends Jens Jensen and Wilhelm Miller and his work on roadside development.

Speeches and Writings are arranged alphabetically by subject and variously include printed texts, final manuscripts, drafts, and draft fragments.

The Miscellany consists of material received in an unfoldered state. Included are poetry, some information on trees, an account of a trip made with Aust by two of his students in 1933, and some scripts about gardening sponsored by the Ferry Morse Seed Co., whose relation to Aust's work is unclear.

The Drawings are oversize and include original drawings, blueprints, black line prints, and photostat copies and date 1927-1952.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Mrs. Franz Aust, Madison, Wisconsin, and Alden Aust, Omaha, Nebraska, 1970-1987. Accession Number: M70-286, M87-265, M90-121

Processing Information

Processed and prepared for microfilming by Eldbjorg Tobin (archives intern) and Carolyn J. Mattern, 1987.

Mss 144 Box   1 Folder   1	Series: Biographical Information, 1966
	Series: Correspondence and Subject Files	⇧
Micro 1138 Reel   1 Frame   1	General, 1915-1966
Mss 144 Box   1 Folder   2	American Association for Rural Planning, 1919-1920
Micro 1138 Reel   2 Frame   1	Bibliographies, undated
Reel   2 Frame   71	Campbell, John R., 1924-1940
Reel   2 Frame   257	Course materials, 1939, undated
	Jensen, Jens
Mss 144 Box   1 Folder   3-4	Original correspondence from Jensen, 1913-1942, undated
Micro 1138 Reel   2 Frame   424	Microfilmed correspondence, 1913-1942
Reel   2 Frame   983	Honorary dinner, 1937
Reel   3 Frame   1	Reference material, 1919-1943
Reel   3 Frame   52	Landscape Extension projects, 1934-1939
	Miller, Wilhelm
Reel   3 Frame   83	Correspondence and memoranda, 1914-1915
Reel   3 Frame   216	Reports and writings by Miller, 1915, undated
Reel   3 Frame   273	Oshkosh projects, 1939
Reel   3 Frame   318	Plans and reports, 1918-1942, undated
Reel   3 Frame   409	Roadside development, 1939-1942
Reel   3 Frame   592	Student war service letters, 1942
Reel   3 Frame   651	Wisconsin Friends of Our Native Landscape, 1920-1942
	Series: Speeches and Writings	⇧
Reel   3 Frame   691	Art, 1925-1935, undated
Reel   3 Frame   921	Birds, Food for, undated
Reel   3 Frame   928	Bulbs, 1934-1935
Reel   4 Frame   1	Cemetery improvement, 1927-1936
Reel   4 Frame   22	Christmas, 1930-1937, undated
Reel   4 Frame   52	Conservation of natural beauty, 1929-1941
Reel   4 Frame   100	Exhibits, fairs, and shows, undated
Reel   4 Frame   115	Farm planning and beautification, 1919, undated
Reel   4 Frame   255	Ferns, 1936
Reel   4 Frame   261	Flowers and flower arrangement, 1935, undated
Reel   4 Frame   281	Friends of Our Native Landscape, 1933, undated
Reel   4 Frame   299	Garden clubs, undated
Reel   4 Frame   316	Garden pools, 1935
Reel   4 Frame   328	Gardens, 1914-1942, undated
Reel   4 Frame   483	Home grounds, 1923-1936
Reel   4 Frame   626	Landscape architecture, 1930-1940
Reel   4 Frame   722	Lawns, 1925-1926, undated
Reel   4 Frame   781	Let's Take A Week-end Trip (WHA series), 1937
Reel   4 Frame   810	Outdoor advertising, undated
Reel   5 Frame   1	Parks, 1940, undated
Reel   5 Frame   24	Roadside planting and development, 1922-1942
Reel   5 Frame   132	Rock gardens, 1919-1934
Reel   5 Frame   178	Rural planning
Reel   5 Frame   284	School grounds, 1934, undated
Reel   5 Frame   300	Shrubs, 1923-1934, undated
Reel   5 Frame   353	Trees, 1923-1939, undated
Reel   5 Frame   445	Urban planning and planting, 1917, undated
Reel   5 Frame   465	Wild flowers, 1933-1937, undated
Reel   5 Frame   491	Woodlots, 1933, undated
Reel   5 Frame   508	Miscellaneous writings, undated
	Series: Miscellany	⇧
Reel   5 Frame   598	Ferry-Morse Seed Company radio talks, circa 1936, undated
Mss 144 Box   1 Folder   5	Miscellaneous
PH 3899 (7)	Series: Drawings	⇧
No.   1	Design and planting plan for North Pinckney Street--Lake Mendota End in connection with property of Dr. T. C. Erickson, Madison, Wisconsin, 1950 [Blueprint]
No.   2	Suggested terrace and garden treatment for the home grounds of Mrs. J. R. Laneil, Shorewood Hills on Lake Mendota, Madison, Wisconsin, 1948 [Blueprint]
No.   3	Barley and Malt Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin, 1949 Scope and Content Note: [Landscape construction plan (original drawing and blueprint); planting plan (original drawing and 2 blueprints); section drawing (original drawing); proposed sidewalk and steps (original drawing); and study showing proposed sidewalk and steps (original drawing).]
No.   4	Home grounds of Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Harper, Woodward Grove, Madison, Wisconsin Scope and Content Note: [Preliminary site plan (original drawing); planting plan (original drawing); planting plan (blueprint with colored pencil sketches).]
No.   5	Proposed landscape plan for Beth El Congregation, Temple Center Building, Madison, Wisconsin, 1950 Scope and Content Note: [Planting plan (original drawing and blueprint with colored pencil and watercolor (?)).]
No.   6	A landscape plan for professional office building, Dr. H. R. Sharpe, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, 1952 [Original drawing with plant specifications attached.]
No.   7	Preliminary survey and development plan, Fish Lake Properties, Dane County, Wisconsin (Made for Herman Schulz, Realtor, Madison, Wisconsin), 1928 [Black line print and photostat]
No.   8	Design and planting for the home site of Dr. and Mrs. G. N. Gillett, Racine, Wisconsin, 1948 Scope and Content Note: [Study (original drawing); design and planting plan (blueprint with colored pencil).]
No.   9	Camp Maria Olbrich (Y.W.C.A.) [on Lake Mendota, Madison, Wisconsin], 1949 [2 study sketches (original drawings)]
No.   10	Thabor Cemetery, Turtle Township, Beloit, Wisconsin, 1947 Scope and Content Note: [Topographical plat (black line print); development plan (photostat); detail sketch (blueprint with colored pencil); perspective view of entrance driveway (original drawing); suggested landscape treatment for park area (2 original drawings); main entrance (original drawing); design and planting plan (original drawing); development plan (original drawing); layout and landscape design (original drawing--ink on vellum).]
No.   11	Survey and development plan of home grounds area, Estate of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. S. Parker, Janesville, Wisconsin, 1927 [Original drawing]
No.   12	Design plan for Sunset Memorial Park Garden of Devotion, Shermerville and Willow Roads, Glenview, Illinois, 1950 [Black line print]
No.   13	Wisconsin State School for the Blind, 1934? Scope and Content Note: [Planting plan (blueprint of plat of grounds with annotations); landscape development (original).]
No.   14	The Rock Garden an Outdoor Living Room: Red Brae Farms, Estate of Mr. and Mrs. A.N. McGeoch, Eagle, Wisconsin, 1929