University of Virginia Library

Gardens

"In Swannanoa gardens you
can dream your dreams to the
rhythms of old world music."
A giant loudspeaker sits on top
of the palace and broadcasts
organ music over the gardens.
The music is occasionally
interspersed with
announcements from the tour
guide inside.

This typifies the basic
problem with Swannanoa. The
Russells, to their credit, took
much time and money to
restore Swannanoa to its
opulence. But they also filled it
with their "objects de art" and
gave the place and undeniably
tacky appearance.

Another problem is trying
to come to grips with the
philosophy of Swannanoa. All
of the Russell books are in the
University library, and
surprisingly many of them
were checked out this week.

Titles run from "Atomic
Suicide" and "There Is No
Death", to "The World
Crisis-Its Explanation and
Solution" and "Love." The
definitive work on Walter
Russell is entitled "The Man
Who Tapped The Secrets of the
Universe," by Glenn Clark.