Tetlow, Robert, 1922-1988

Biographical Note

Robert Tetlow (1922-1988)

Robert Tetlow was an accomplished landscape architect and a dedicated professor, known for his love of art, music, and literature. He particularly loved to paint and sometimes exhibited his landscape watercolors around the Bay Area. In addition to exhibiting his own work, he co-curated a photographic exhibit in 1956 called "Man's Impact on the Bay Area Landscape" with landscape architect David Abergast. He also authored several books, articles, and research studies focused on landscape design and its relationship to the natural environment.

Born in Astoria, Oregon, Tetlow briefly attended Oregon State University before joining the United States Navy in 1941 and serving in the Pacific. After leaving the military, he attended the University of Oregon graduating in 1949 with a degree in landscape architecture. To further his education, he moved to the Bay Area to study at the University of California, Berkeley, receiving a master's degree in landscape architecture in 1951.

His professional career began with the city of San Jose, but he soon switched to teaching when he joined the faculty at UC Davis in 1952. In 1954 he once again returned to UC Berkeley, this time as a professor. He was a professor of landscape architecture for 34 years, including a stint as chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture from 1977 to 1981.

As a practicing landscape architect, Tetlow designed the gardens for several private residences. He also designed the remodel of his own home and did most of the carpentry himself. His most noted work was for the Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. In 1959, he wrote the master plan for the gardens in which he stated that the major considerations for the development of the land should relate to "the fundamental nature of the terrain that the design will appear to have been dictated by the ground form rather than the reverse." This philosophy of minimizing human impact on nature ran throughout his work. He also felt it important to integrate the mature garden with new developments and to maintain a balance between open space and densely planted areas. He supervised the implementation of his plan and served on the Strybing Board of Trustees between 1967 and 1981.

Tetlow authored and co-authored many works, including the "Sunset Patio Book" (1952); a National Water Commission study, entitled "The Role of Water in the Landscape: A Design Overview"(1971); and a report for British Columbia's Ministry of the Environment, entitled "Visual Resources of the Northeast Coal Study Area, 1976-1977." He worked on two important exhibitions in 1956: a nationwide traveling exhibit, entitled, "Landscape Architecture Today: An Introduction" and the photographic exhibit entitled, "Man's Impact on the Bay Area Landscape." This exhibit was said to draw "attention to environmental problems and helped prepare the way for environmental activism in the Bay Area in the 1960s."

From the guide to the Robert Tetlow collection, 1949-1987, 1953-1985, (Environmental Design Archives College of Environmental Design)