These flowers are exact glass reproductions of botanical specimens originally created for teaching purposes. The collection includes entire plants, but also enlarged models of individual flower parts and microscopic views of plant cells. As the Museum explains, “Since the Glass Flowers are always in bloom, tropical and temperate species may be studied year-round.” They were created by a father and son, the Blaschkas, between 1886 and 1936, resulting in 4,300 models representing 780 plant species. The craftsmanship is astonishing — it is almost impossible to believe that these delicate, lifelike flowers are made entirely of glass. Truly remarkable.
“After Leopold was commissioned to make sea anemones for Dresden’s natural history museum in 1863, he began to focus on scientific model making. Gifted with exceptional aptitude as a flameworker and a love of natural history, 19-year-old Rudolf joined the family business in 1876. Together, they supplied invertebrate marine models to private collectors, museums and universities worldwide, attracting the attention of Harvard’s first Botanical Museum Director, George Lincoln Goodale, who enticed them to create botanical models for Harvard.”