Time: 7 pm EDT
Admission: $8 - Tickets HERE
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The Glass Flowers, formally the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, have delighted museum visitors, educated students, and inspired artistic and scholarly works for more than a century. This one-of-a-kind collection is on permanent exhibition at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The breathtakingly beautiful and scientifically accurate glass models were made by Leopold Blaschka (1822-1895) and his son, Rudolf (1857-1939). Over fifty years, from 1886 through 1936, the Blaschkas produced 4,300 models that represent 780 plant species. Commissioned as a teaching collection and a museum exhibit, the Glass Flowers were made exclusively for Harvard University.
The collection has been displayed in the same gallery since the university’s Botanical Museum opened in 1890. While changes and improvements were made over time, the first major renovation and reinterpretation of the Glass Flowers exhibit didn’t occur until 2016. The risk involved with handling and moving these fragile glass models was one of many obstacles for executing such a project.
Tonight, join Glass Flowers collection Manager Jennifer Brown as she shares their fascinating history Flowers and discusses the recent exhibit renovation.
Jennifer Brown has managed the Glass Flowers since 2012. Her background in art and library science combined with her experience assisting glass artist Toots Zynsky prepared her to work with this unique collection.
Image: Glass model of Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Pride of Barbados), Model no. 569, Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, 1895. The Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, Harvard University Herbaria / Harvard Museum of Natural History. Photo by Natalja Kent © President and Fellows of Harvard College