Thomas Jones Estate c. 1936

Meyer Goldbaum created this estate plan of Thomas Jones with watercolor and graphite around the turn of the century. It is a bird's eye view of an estate garden, neatly divided into rectangular sections and includes a family crest at the top. We see more than just a depiction of land; we glimpse into the values of a specific social class during a time of significant economic disparity. Estate plans like this one, served as statements of wealth and power, reinforcing the status of families like the Joneses. The meticulous arrangement of trees, water features, and decorative gardens suggests control over nature, reflecting a desire to impose order on both the physical and social landscape. To understand this piece better, we can delve into archives of estate planning, landscape architecture, and family histories, to understand the social and cultural context in which it was made. Such research will reveal how art is embedded within the economic structures of its time.