Shears, Grass
Shears, Grass
Shears, Grass

Shears, Grass

Object number2016.1.2
Date1949-1985
MediumSteel
Credit LineGift of Joseph Guy Esposito, Jr., and Rosemarie Waechter.
DescriptionLandscaper's shears used to trim lawn edges and define walkways by hand.DimensionsLength x Width x Depth: 13 × 3.625 × 1.75 in. (33 × 9.2 × 4.4 cm)
Historical NotesJoseph Guy Esposito, Sr., immigrated from Savuci in Calabria, Italy to Pittsburgh in 1929 with his father and his father’s brother, Anthony. They found work with paesans from Calabria in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood who established a landscaping business called English Lane Nursery. Their choice to do landscaping came from their background in agriculture, especially their knowledge of grafting olive trees in Italy. Esposito quit school in tenth grade and worked for English Lane through the Depression. Esposito was drafted for WWII under the regimental campaign in Hawaii and after his service, he returned to work for English Lane and married the owner’s daughter, Rose Mary. In 1949, Esposito, started his own business separate from English Lane called Parkway Landscaping. Their business included basic lawn maintenance, such as grass cutting, caring for trees and shrubbery, and constructing stone walls and walkways. Prior to the development of motorized landscaping tools, landscapers used wool shears to trim lawn edges and define walkways by hand and sickles were used for cutting down vegetation. Esposito kept detailed records in day books, which included plans for lawn maintenance, records of labor, and lists of supplies used. This information was transferred to a ledger that was used for billing that included the client’s name, address, and phone number. In 1985, Esposito dissolved Parkway Landscaping to work with his son, Joseph Esposito, Jr., Together they started J. Esposito and Son Landscaping. Also donated to the Library & Archives were archives related to Parkway Landscaping, including photographs of notable projects, Esposito’s day books, landscaping plans, and correspondences, as well as an oral history by Joseph Esposito, Jr.
Previous owner
Related institution (1949 - 1985)
On View
Not on view
navigate_beforenavigate_next