The Evolution of Lawn Mower
Lawns were originally seen as beautiful when they were full of weeds, tall, uncut grass and full of flowers. The first time that lawns started to become trimmed for a purpose was when aristocrats needed the lawn cut short in order to play lawn sports. It was a luxury that only the wealthy aristocrats could afford due to the need for labor and wet scythes to cut the lawn. It was the creation and evolution of the lawn mower that really opened up a need to keep one’s lawn well trimmed and groomed.
In the mid-19th century, as cities grew and became increasingly industrialized, city beautification campaigns became common, and the “park” was born. This term had originally referred to the acres of lawn with carefully tended trees around wealthy English homes. Edwin Budding developed the first lawnmower in 1830, and by the 1890s, lawn mowers were a fixture of the American landscape. The development and mass-production of lawn mowers made possible the development of lawns, providing an affordable alternative to a fleet of servants.
The history of the lawn mower in America has continued to expand since Budding’s invention of the first lawn mower. Due to this growth in lawn mower technology, the lawn has developed a new meaning in modern day America and has become a public area characterized by landscaped lawns, trees, shrubbery, and water (fountains, streams, ponds, and lakes). Often, these pieces of lawn are better known as parks, and they still serve the purpose of bringing together the community. Redefined and democratized, the park became ample in North America. Anyone who has driven across the United States or southern Canada knows that even the smallest town has its park: a block or two devoted to grass, trees, a sandbox and swing set, a few benches, a picnic table, and a water fountain. If all of those items were removed save the first, grass, then it would still be recognizable as a community lawn or park.
Over the years, the lawn has evolved from an open piece of land with no maintenance to a heavily maintained and manufactured gem. The lawn is currently used as a way to bring individuals together to appreciate each other’s company as well as to visually symbolize their social status.
Below is the timeline with assets that I have created thus far. I think I still need to do some work with the images, but this is it so far.
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