User talk:Stephen Otto

In the stub for Andre Parmentier (1780-1830) it is stated "In England, one of Parmentier's finest works was that of the Italian Gardens, commissioned by Queen Victoria, . . ." Victoria, aged 18, became Queen in 1837, seven years after Parmentier's death, so his having received his commission from her is highly unlikely. I co-authored a long article with footnotes, Italic textAndre Parmentier's "Two or Three Places in Upper Canada" in the Journal of the New England Garden History Society (vol. 5, Fall 1997, pp. 1-8), providing much information on his US work as well, which is available to anyone wishing to add to the stub. I regret that I do not have time myself to do this. Stephen Otto (talk) 22:22, 25 October 2010 (UTC)

Andre Parmentier
I have been unsuccessful in having Anne Marks i/c Records at the Royal Parks, London, confirm that Parmentier was involved in designing the Italian Gardens in Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens. Try the National Archives, she suggests. Nor is there anything in William A. Mann's book found among the references to connect Parmentier with Hyde Park, London. Mann does draw attention, however, to Parmentier's work in 1828-29 for Dr. David Hosack at his Hudson River Estate, Hyde Park, NY, now the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. The current entry fails to mention this significant project. Likewise, it takes no note of Parmentier's designs for Elisha King's 'Hawkswood' estate at Pelham Manor, NY (1829); for King's College, York [now Toronto], Upper Canada (c.1829); and William Allan's 'Moss Park,' York, Upper Canada (c. 1829). References to Parmentier's role wrt 'Hawkswood' can be found in Atkinson's Casket or Gems of Literature, Wit and Sentiment, 1831, No. 10, pp. 457 (October, 1831); wrt King's College in Minutes of the Governing Council of King's College, June 1832, directing the Bursar to pay the widow of the late M. Parmentier ₤25 "for having furnished a plan for laying out the grounds of the University," (Archives, University of Toronto, A 70-0024/001 (03), 182); and wrt 'Moss Park' in the Toronto Daily News, 8 August 1889, 'Old Moss Park.'

The current entry says Parmentier moved to the United States in 1821. All other sources say '1824,' for example, Patricia M. O'Donnell, Charles Birnbaum and Cynthia Zaitzevsky, "Cultural Landscape Report for Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site (Boston, MA. National Parks Service, 1992) p. 33

In my view tinkering with the entry in its present form serves no purpose; it needs to be completely revised. Stephen Otto (talk) 20:35, 30 October 2010 (UTC) ₭