50 Amazing Magic Lantern Slides of Gardens in the U.S From the 1910s

These amazing magic lantern slides from The Library of Congress were taken by American photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864–1952) that show gardens in the United States in the 1910s.

May the beauty captured in these historical magic lantern slides inspire you with new gardening ideas. Or, make you wonder how these places look today.

"Drumthwacket," Moses Taylor Pyne House, 354 Stockton Road, Princeton, New Jersey. Temple at upper pond, 1911

"Cragston," John Pierpont Morgan house, Highland Falls, New York. Spring bulbs, 1913

"Grey-Croft," Stephen Swete Cummins house, Huntting Lane, East Hampton, New York. Japanese iris garden, rustic bridge, 1913

"Près Choisis," Albert Herter house, Georgica Pond, East Hampton, New York. Fountain in orange and yellow garden, 1913

George Fisher Baker house, Tuxedo Park, New York. Rockery pool, 1913

"Beacon Hill House," Arthur Curtiss James house, Beacon Hill Road, Newport, Rhode Island. Blue Garden, view to pergola, 1914

"Chelmsford," Elon Huntington Hooker house, Greenwich, Connecticut. Brook garden, 1914

"Claraben Court," Benjamin Stern house, Roslyn Harbor, New York. Hydrangea, 1914

"Gardenside," Frederick Augustus Snow house, Ox Pasture Road, Southampton, New York. View north to flower garden, 1914

"Gray Gardens," Robert Carmer Hill house, Lily Pond Lane, East Hampton, New York. Bench inside northeast gate, circa 1914

"Holm Lea," Charles Sprague Sargent house, Brookline, Massachusetts. Flowering trees, 1914

"Millefiori," Albert Barnes Boardman house, Great Plains Road and Coopers Neck Lane, Southampton, New York. Garden gate, 1914

"Oakland Farm," Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt house, East Main Road, Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Lawn, 1914

"The Appletrees," Henry Eugene Coe house, Southampton, New York. View to house, 1914

"The Fens," Lorenzo Easton Woodhouse house, Huntting Lane, East Hampton, New York. Rose arbor, 1914

"Weld," Larz Anderson house, 151 Newton Street, Brookline, Massachusetts. Temple in water garden, 1914

"Willowmere," Rear Admiral Aaron Ward house, 435 Bryant Avenue, Roslyn Harbor, New York. Rear Admiral Aaron and Elizabeth Cairns Ward, 1914

George Warrington Curtis house, Southampton, New York. Pergola, circa 1914

"Marshfield," George Woodward Wickersham house, Cedarhurst, New York. Plank walkway to tea house in Japanese garden, 1915

"Sylvestor Manor," Cornelia Horsford house, Shelter Island, New York. Flower garden, 1915

"The Dunes," Frank Bestow Wiborg house, Highway Behind the Pond, East Hampton, New York. Garden door, 1915

"Westlawn," Edward Tiffany Dyer house, Great Plains Road, Southampton, New York. Garden fence, 1915

Charles Rapello Henderson house, Southampton, New York. Birdbath, 1915

Dr. Frederick Kellogg Hollister house, Lily Pond Lane, East Hampton, New York. Pathway to house, 1915

Wallace Reid house, East Hampton, New York. Pathway, 1915

"Gray Gardens," Robert Carmer Hill house, Lily Pond Lane, East Hampton, New York. Pathway to sun room, 1916

Black Point, Colonel Henry Huttleston Rogers, Jr., Gin Lane and Old Town Road, Southampton, New York. Children's garden, 1916

"Arcady," George Owen Knapp house, Sycamore Canyon Road, Montecito, California. Roses along pathway, 1917

"Casa de Mariposa," Walter Franklin Cobb house, Butterfly Lane, Montecito, California. Rock garden, 1917

"El Cerritto," Edward Larned Ryerson Jr. house, Hot Springs Road, Santa Barbara, California. Valerian along pathway, 1917

"El Fureidis," James Waldron Gillespie house, Parra Grande Lane, Montecito, California. Quarry garden, 1917

"Glen Oaks," James Hobart Moore house, East Valley Road, Montecito, California. Pyrethrum border, 1917

"Il Paradiso," Mrs. Dudley Peter Allen house, 1188 Hillcrest Avenue, Oak Knoll, Pasadena, California. Lower garden stairs, 1917

"Inellan," Walter Douglas house, Channel Drive, Montecito, California. Garden façade, 1917

"La Chiquita," Francis Townsend Underhill house, Channel Drive, Montecito, California. View to Pacific Ocean, 1917

"Mi Sueño," Herbert Coppell house, 1245 South Grand Avenue, Pasadena, California. West terrace, 1917

"New Place," William Henry Crocker house, 80 New Place Road, Hillsborough, California. Reflecting pool, 1917

"Newmar," Senator George Almer Newhall house, 1761 Manor Drive, Hillsborough, California, 1917

"Senuelo," Edward Ditmars Wetmore house, 1050 Channel Drive, Montecito, California. Path to rose garden, 1917

"Solana," Frederick Forrest Peabody house, Eucalyptus Hill Road, Montecito, California. Courtyard, 1917

"Surprise Valley Farm," Arthur Curtiss James property, Beacon Hill Road, Newport, Rhode Island. Farmer cottages, 1917

"Villa Rose," Joseph Donahoe Grant house, 2260 Redington Road, Hillsborough, California. View from house library to swimming pool, 1917

David Berry Gamble house, 4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena, California. Water terrace, 1917

John Henry Fisher adobe, 765 West Highland Avenue, Redlands, California. Water garden, 1917

Michael Cochrane Armour house, 962 Linda Vista Avenue, Pasadena, California. Lily pool, 1917

Mrs. Eldridge Merick Fowler house, 363 Grove Street, Pasadena, California. Fountain in flower garden, 1917

Mrs. Francis Lemoine Loring house, 700 South San Rafael Avenue, San Rafael Heights, Pasadena, California. Staircase from landing, replanted, 1917

Myron Hunt house, 200 North Grand Avenue, Pasadena, California. View to house, 1917

Santa Barbara Mission, 2201 Laguna Street, Santa Barbara, California, 1917

William Alexander Spinks, Jr., ranch, Foothill Boulevard, Duarte, California. Pathway, 1917