Glass Flowers facts for kids
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The Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, often called the Glass Flowers, is an amazing collection of super realistic glass models of plants. You can find them at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
These incredible models were made by a father and son team, Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka. They worked on them from 1887 to 1936 in their studio in Hosterwitz, near Dresden, Germany. The collection was requested by George Lincoln Goodale, who was the first director of Harvard's Botanical Museum. It was paid for by Mary Lee Ware and her mother, Elizabeth C. Ware.
The collection has about 4,400 individual glass models. These models show over 830 different kinds of plants. This includes 847 life-size models and about 3,000 smaller models that show tiny parts of plants or how they look inside. Some models even show how fungi can cause plant diseases.
Why Were They Made?
Before making glass plants, the Blaschkas were already famous. Since 1863, they had a successful business creating glass models of marine invertebrates, like jellyfish and sea anemones. They sold these models to museums and collectors all over the world.
Back then, real plant specimens for study were usually pressed flat. They were then carefully labeled and displayed. The problem was that pressing made the plants lose their natural 3D shape. They also lost their vibrant colors.
In 1886, Professor Goodale from Harvard saw the Blaschkas' amazing glass sea creatures. He traveled to Germany to ask them to create glass plant models for Harvard. He wanted models that would keep their 3D shape and color forever. Leopold Blaschka was not sure at first, but he agreed to make some samples. Even though these samples were damaged when they arrived, Professor Goodale was convinced. He saw how valuable they would be for teaching about plants.
To pay for this huge project, Professor Goodale asked Mary Lee Ware and her mother, Elizabeth C. Ware, for help. They were already big supporters of Harvard's botanical department. At first, the Blaschkas agreed to work on the project part-time starting in 1887. But by 1890, they agreed to work on it full-time. They continued making models until 1936. By then, both Leopold Blaschka and Elizabeth Ware had passed away.
The collection is officially dedicated to Dr. Charles Eliot Ware. He was Mary's father and Elizabeth's husband, and he had passed away.
How Were the Models Made?
The glass models are made of glass, with thin wires inside or outside for support. They also use glue, different natural materials, and paint or enamel for color. People have called them "perfect in every detail" and say no one has been able to copy them since.
Many people think the Blaschkas used secret methods that are now lost. But actually, their basic glass-making techniques were common at the time. What made them special was their incredible skill, passion, and how carefully they studied real plants. Leopold Blaschka once wrote that the only way to become a skilled glass modeler is to "get a good great-grandfather who loved glass." He meant that their talent came from a long family tradition.
The Blaschkas mainly used a technique called lampworking. This is where glass is melted over a flame. The flame is fed by air from a foot-powered pump. Then, the melted glass is shaped using special tools to pinch, pull, or cut it. They also blew glass to create hollow forms. You can even see their old-fashioned lamp-working table as part of the museum exhibit.
Over the years, Rudolf Blaschka took more and more control over the whole process. He even started making his own glass and colors.
A plant scientist named Donald Schnell called the models "enchanting." He was surprised to find that the models showed a tiny detail about how a bee pollinated a certain plant. This was a detail he had only guessed at himself! Experts have said that the Blaschka models are better in design and making than any modern models created since.
Images for kids
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Rudolf (standing) and Leopold Blaschka, the artists who made the Glass Flowers.
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"This plaque honors Dr. Charles Eliot Ware (1814–1887), a Harvard graduate. His wife and daughter, who survived him, gave these models in his memory. He truly loved native plants as if they were his friends."
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A glass model of a cactus.
