Alice Recknagel Ireys
American landscape architect (1911-2000)
Alice Recknagel Ireys (April 24, 1911 – December 12, 2000) was an American landscape architect whose notable clients included the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the New York Botanical Garden, the Clark Botanic Garden, the Abigail Adams Smith Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum.
Early life and education
Alice Elizabeth Recknagel was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Harold S. and Rea Estes Recknagel. Her father was an insurance-industry attorney. The 45 Willow Street townhouse Alice grew up in had been occupied by her family since the 1830s, and she would live there her entire life.
Ireys became interested in gardening as a child by working with her grandfather at a family farm in Green Harbor, Massachusetts. She helped her grandfather in his vegetable garden and was given a small plot of her own in which to grow flowers. Ireys' interest developed further as a result of a program at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which itself was under development throughout Ireys' youth, funded by the Burpee seed company that allowed children to grow plants and then take them home. Ireys also volunteered at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Ireys went to school at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn and then, at the suggestion of a friend, attended the Cambridge School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, which was founded by Harvard professors but by 1932 was affiliated with Smith College. Although the Cambridge School ordinarily only admitted women holding a B.A. degree, Recknagel persuaded school founder Henry Atherton Frost that her Packer diploma was the equivalent of a junior college degree and so secured admission.
The public source identifies “Alice Recknagel Ireys” as american landscape architect (1911-2000). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Alice, Recknagel and Ireys.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Alice Recknagel Ireys”, the useful work is to connect “american landscape architect (1911-2000)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 31, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q21016447. VIAF identifies the subject as 57900166. The Library of Congress control number is n79133755. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1911, 2000 and 1932.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Alice Recknagel Ireys”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Alice Recknagel Ireys primary sources, Alice Recknagel Ireys archive and Alice research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Alice Recknagel Ireys”?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Alice Recknagel Ireys” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.