Studies in Conservation

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'BOTANICAL WONDERS': THE CONSERVATION AND

EXHIBITION OF THE HARVARD GLASS FLOWERS

Stephen P. Koob, Scott E. Fulton & Susan M. Rossi-Wilcox

To cite this article: Stephen P. Koob, Scott E. Fulton & Susan M. Rossi-Wilcox (2008)
'BOTANICAL WONDERS': THE CONSERVATION AND EXHIBITION OF THE HARVARD GLASS
FLOWERS, Studies in Conservation, 53:sup1, 44-49

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/sic.2008.53.Supplement-1.44

Published online: 13 Dec 2013.

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 ‘BOTANICAL WONDERS’: THE CONSERVATION AND EXHIBITION OF THE
HARVARD GLASS FLOWERS
Stephen P. Koob, Scott E. Fulton and Susan M. Rossi-Wilcox

ABSTRACT
The exhibition ‘Botanical Wonders’, presented at The Corning Museum
of Glass in 2007, showcased the exquisite and accurate glass models
of plants made by the Bohemian flameworkers, Leopold and Rudolf
Blaschka. New conservation techniques and materials were developed for
the stabilization, repair and packing of the models, which were shipped
from their home at the Botanical Museum of Harvard University to
Corning, New York. The museums’ curators and conservators collaborated
with Corning’s registrar in an effort that stressed the utmost care and
minimal handling to ensure the safety of the objects. A small conservation
‘laboratory’ was included in the exhibition, supplemented by a two-minute
video on treatments carried out on some of the glass models. A display
panel and audio tour of the show explained the importance of conservation
for the long-term preservation of these objects.

INTRODUCTION
The exhibition ‘Botanical Wonders: The Story of the Harvard
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Glass Flowers’, presented at The Corning Museum of Glass

(CMoG) from 18 May to 25 November 2007, celebrated the
artistic triumph of two unique glassmakers, Leopold Blaschka
(1822–1896) and his son Rudolf (1857–1939). Conservation was
critical to the exhibition in order to stabilize, repair, and devise
specialized packing so that they could travel safely from their
home at the Botanical Museum of Harvard University (BMHU)
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to the museum in Corning, New
York, a distance of 375 miles (600 kilometers). The show was
conceived from the beginning as a collaboration between the
curatorial, conservation, and education departments, to illumi-
nate the story behind these rarely loaned and extremely fragile
models.
As experienced couriers, the authors recognized that every
aspect of the move, from de-installation at Harvard, packing and
unpacking, to the uncertainties of road travel, presented different
types of risks and solutions for abatement. Preliminary discus-
sions, including detailed examinations of all the glass models
that were candidates for the exhibition, were undertaken at
Harvard a year earlier. When the choices were finalized, a week
of conservation treatment was necessary to stabilize the models
prior to their being packed for shipment. All of the complicated
repairs and most of the exhibition mounting were done later at
the CMoG. This permitted a more critical assessment of the nec-
essary repairs and afforded an opportunity to provide supports
that held the larger models and broken parts on non-exhibition
(storage-only) pallets.
To help visitors understand the science of conservation, the
exhibition included a small mock-up of a conservation laboratory,
a conservation documentary video, and a display panel that fur-
ther explained the importance of conservation for the preserva-
tion and continued stewardship of the collection. The audio tour
of the exhibit reinforced this message with its focus on the fragile
nature of the models and the types of active and passive interven-
tions that were carried out to stabilize and secure them.
HISTORY OF THE HARVARD GLASS FLOWERS
By the mid 1800s, Harvard University had become a center for
botanical study. As the new public museums of natural history
were being planned, George Lincoln Goodale, who became the
first director of the BMHU, traveled to Dresden in 1886 to ask
the Blaschkas to produce glass replicas of plants, Fig. 1. This
commission resulted in a comprehensive, permanent, and bo-
tanically accurate teaching collection for the study of taxonomy
Fig. 1 Prunus armeniaca L., apricot (in flower), detail. Model
875 (1936), Botanical Museum, Harvard University Herbaria,
Cambridge, Massachusetts.
and botany. The Blaschkas were already accomplished model-
makers who had built a profitable mail-order business making
glass invertebrates for institutions worldwide.
They agreed to create a few plant models. Four years later
they signed an exclusive contract with the Botanical Museum
to work solely on botanical models. For 50 years (1886–1936),
glass models were made to represent roughly 840 plant species
as nearly 4300 life-size and enlarged details of characteristics
that were barely visible to the naked eye. The models included
flowering plants from North America and Jamaica, as well as
non-flowering plants and ferns, a pollination series, and diseased
fruits.
The Blaschkas used standard lampworking or ‘flameworking’
techniques in which glass rods, tubes, and tiny pieces of glass
are melted and shaped over a small flame. When the glass had
become soft, it could be modified with simple tools and fused
to fashion larger pieces. Much of the Blaschkas’ work was
created using a specially equipped workbench with a foot-
operated leather and wooden bellows that could make the
alcohol in a lamp burn in a much hotter and focused flame. Most
of the early models were hand-painted with pigments in a gum
or hide glue medium [1], while the later models were finished
with glass enamels.
THE EXHIBITION AT THE CORNING MUSEUM:
COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATION
The Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants,
popularly known as the ‘Glass Flowers’, is the only collection
of its kind in the world. Most of these models are on permanent
exhibition in the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The
museum rarely approves loans of these objects because they
are extremely fragile. For the exhibition in Corning, conserva-
tion, safe transit, and proper handling and display of the models
were considered to be of primary importance. They were also
regarded as the main responsibility of CMoG (the borrowing

44
 institution), which guaranteed that the models would be returned
in a better condition than before they traveled. In the initial plan-
ning of this exhibition, conservation was discussed as an integral
element in the loan agreement. The curators and directors of
both museums determined that only models stable enough to
travel could be loaned for the exhibition. However, models that
required complicated repairs (such as delaminated examples) or
raised difficult restoration issues were also considered so that
treatments could be recommended for conditions that affected
the collection in general. The collaborative goal was to maximize
this opportunity and develop conservation strategies that could
be employed in a larger conservation project being planned by
Harvard University. The selection of models was based on a joint
examination and evaluation by the authors of this paper. The
museum directors agreed that staff time and expertise would
be devoted to stabilizing the models before they traveled. The
more extensive treatments would be done at the conservation Fig. 2 Surface delamination and damage to Blaschka model.
laboratory in Corning. These decisions became part of the loan
agreement between CMoG and BMHU, ensuring minimal risks
and optimal benefits for the models and the exhibition.
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Examination of the models

An understanding of the technology and materials used in manu-
facturing the models was critical to making sound conservation
decisions and ensuring their safety during the course of the loan.
Most of the Blaschkas’ construction techniques were ingeniously
adapted from their proficiency with jewelry making [1]. Copper
and iron wires of various thicknesses were used to make the
armatures for the stems, leaves, and roots, and they provided
support for the coatings of glass that then formed the plant’s
details. In the earlier models, clear glass tubing and fine sheets
of glass were used, and the glass was then painted to approxi-
mate the morphology of the specimens that were being copied.
Where leaves, flowers, and stems joined the main branches, glue
and pigmented fillers covered the joints, resulting in a realistic
appearance. For many of the models, multiple layers of glass as
well as numerous layers of paints and/or coatings were used.
In his later years as a model maker, Rudolf Blaschka, created
most of the surface details by combining enamels, frits and pig-
ments — a process that followed considerable experimentation.
He mentioned some of these experiments in letters he wrote to
Mary Lee Ware, the benefactor of the Harvard collection [1].
Early studies and later analyses of the original materials indicated
that most of the models were painted with water-soluble organic
coatings in the form of animal glues or natural plant resins such
as dammar or copal [2]. The information provided by these
studies proved to be critical in making informed conservation
decisions during the course of the treatments of the models.
Numerous previous repairs were observed on the models, some
of which dated to Rudolf’s visit to Cambridge in 1892. They
included very fine wire repairs and animal glue adhesive joins.
Some later repairs were identified and confirmed by conservation
records in the Botanical Museum. These were made primarily
with cellulose nitrate, various epoxies and, more recently, with
acrylic resin adhesives such as Paraloid B-72.
Documentation
Although there were earlier photographs and condition reports for
the collection, this information was updated to reflect the current
condition of the model selected for the exhibition, describing any
areas of damage or loss. These notes were combined with the
previous reports to add to the archival record.
Stabilization prior to travel
As a result of relocation, vibration, or general internal strain
(e.g., compositional incompatibility and thermal stress inherent
Fig. 3 Slurries of pigmented Paraloid B-72 in glass vials.
in their manufacture), many models exhibit some cracking and/or
flaking of the paper-thin glass, along with peeling and lifting of
glue and paints, Fig. 2. Most of these areas are at intersections of
twigs or branches, and where leaves and petals were attached to
stems. Over the years, movement and the flexing of these areas
have resulted in minor surface losses. It was deemed necessary
to stabilize these areas before the models were packed and
shipped to Corning. Initial conservation efforts were planned
to be minimal, because laboratory facilities at the BMHU were
limited. More extensive conservation was scheduled for the
models when they arrived in Corning. Broken elements, such as
leaves, petals of flowers, or fragments of stems and bark, were
packed separately, and carefully labeled. These pieces were to
be repaired and reattached in the seven months that remained
before the exhibition opened.
A week was scheduled at the BMHU for the stabilization
and difficult packing of the models by the authors. Knowing
the materials used in the construction, decoration, and previous
repair of these objects, was of great help in choosing appropriate
conservation treatment, methods, and materials.
Paraloid B-72 was chosen for the consolidation of most cracks
and flaking surfaces, and for rejoining broken or separated sec-
tions of glass. Cracks and weakened areas were consolidated
using 15% B-72 (in 95% acetone: 5% ethanol). The consolidant
was applied with a brush and the procedure was straightforward
and very successful. One modification proved extremely useful:
the initial consolidation was followed by a thicker application
of bulked-out and pigmented B-72. Some simple experiments
with concentrations and pigments yielded an excellent mixture
or ‘slurry’ of 30% B-72 (in 80% acetone: 20% ethanol), with the
addition of fumed colloidal silica (Aerosil 202) and powdered
pigments. The solution was thicker than a consolidant, but less
viscous than standard putty. Various colored B-72 slurries were
made and stored in glass vials, Fig. 3. These slurries were then

45
 applied to areas that already had been consolidated — but
had larger losses (not just cracks) — in order to provide addi-
tional strength. Another advantage of the slurries was that they
improved the aesthetic appearance of the damaged areas and hid
exposed wires or sharp glass fractured edges. B-72 was chosen
because of its stability, ease of application, and easy reversibility
in acetone [3], which would not affect any of the original water-
based Blaschka construction should such reversibility ever be
required.
Some isolated areas of unstable decorative detail responded
well to local consolidation with the synthetic cellulose deriva-
tive Ethulose (ethylhydroxyethylcellulose) in a water: ethanol
solution. This treatment was derived from earlier experimenta-
tion with the Blaschkas’ magnified cross-sections to identify a
method of relaxing and re-attaching the lifting edges of applied
gelatin [4].
Ethulose consolidation was carried out on three magnified
models of transverse and longitudinal plant ovary sections. While
the glass substrates all appeared stable on these models, the
applied gelatin and animal glue details were lifting or peeling.
The sections were placed in a high relative humidity (80–90%)
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chamber for 30 minutes to soften the lifting areas. The Ethulose
was then carefully applied by brush and the lifting areas gently
laid down using a spatula and light pressure. In some cases, more
pressure could be applied using small weights on top of silicone
release paper, which was used as a separating, protective barrier.
After 20 to 30 minutes, the adhesive was dry enough to remove
the weights. Ethulose was chosen for its compatibility with the
water-sensitive gelatins used by the Blaschkas and because of
its flexible response to environmental changes, expansion and
contraction.
PACKING AND TRANSIT
When conservation stabilization measures had been completed,
the models were carefully packed, following guidelines that were
established for a shipment of models to Avignon, France, for
display in the exhibition ‘La Beauté’ in 2000 [5].
The models were mounted on faced polystyrene foam board
(Gatorfoam®) pallets, which were intended to double as exhibit
mounts. Small cushions of white high-density polyethylene
foam (Plastizote) were attached to the pallet to support the
structural backbone and heavier model parts like the branches
and fruits. These primary supports were considered permanent
and would remain in place throughout transit as well as during
exhibition.
Temporary Plastizote supports were positioned to prevent the
shifting of large and heavy elements, such as the life-size fruits.
These were labeled with color-coded dots, to indicate that they
could be removed when the models were unpacked. For the final
cushioning, custom-made ‘pillows’ of varying sizes were tucked
under and around leaves, flowers, and any other parts of models
that were subject to vibration. These pillows were made of very
thin, high-density polyethylene sheeting filled with polyester
batting and closed with a heat sealer, Fig. 4. These were all
made to be removable and proved successful in preventing any
movement and damage.
A double-crating approach to packing the glass models was
also considered to be good protection against thermal shock
while the collection was in transit. Each pallet containing models
was supported with an inner foam-core box lined with closed-
cell polyethylene foam (Ethafoam®). This box, in turn, was
nested in a cushioned enclosure of an outer box lined with
polyurethane packing foam of the appropriate to absorb shock
and vibration, see Fig. 4. The models were transported in an
air-ride, climate-controlled truck, and arrived at the Corning
warehouse.
46
Fig. 4 Completed packing of a plant model, showing details of supports
and cushioning.
CONSERVATION AT THE CORNING MUSEUM OF
GLASS
Additional conservation work was carried out once the models
had arrived at Corning, in the museum’s climate-controlled ware-
house, which contains a small conservation laboratory. This also
allowed for a more relaxed time schedule to perform the work
that needed to be done; only one model was later moved from
the warehouse to the museum laboratory because it required
much more extensive restoration work. Preprinted conservation
report forms were used to assess condition of the collection after
the long truck ride. Digital photographs of the models were also
made. These condition and treatment records were later entered
into the conservation records database.
Cleaning
Some of the models had already been cleaned and stabilized
in preparation for ‘La Beauté’, the French Millennium Exhibit
in Avignon, France in 2000 [5]. The remaining models were
disfigured by a layer of accumulated dust, cotton fibers, miscel-
laneous debris and a blackish deposit (probably soot from early
coal-fired heating seasons).
The structural fragility of the models, and the sensitive nature
of many of the surface coatings, complicated cleaning efforts.
The paints and organic coatings used by the Blaschkas restricted
the use of water. Using other solvents of high polarity like
acetone or ethanol could also have been problematic. It was help-
ful that previous cleaning tests conducted both at Harvard and
at Corning had indicated that petroleum distillates (Stoddard’s
solvent, naphtha, ligroine, or petroleum ether) were safe and very
effective for light cleaning and the removal of oily soot deposits.
Soft sable or sable/synthetic brushes were used either dry, or with
mineral spirits. Fine tweezers were used to remove bits of cotton
lint and other debris.
Repairs of damaged models
Some of the models had been damaged in the past, and many had
undergone previous repairs, some of which are known to have
been made by the Blaschkas themselves. However, most of the
repairs of broken leaves, stems, and flowers were of more recent
date (the 1960s and 1970s), when the models had been stabilized
with various adhesives including epoxy and cellulose nitrate.
Three types of conservation treatment were carried out at
Corning: the re-attachment of previously broken fragments;
filling of significant losses and; extensive re-treatment and gap-
filling of one large magnified plant part (the flower of a variety
of grass common in New England).
 Fig. 5 Application of Hxtal-NYL-1 epoxy to repair the broken stem of
a magnified fungus model.

Most of the previously broken fragments were reattached

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using B-72 adhesive, after first cleaning off any previous adhesive
such as animal glue or cellulose nitrate. Hxtal NYL-1 epoxy
was used only on one model, in order to repair the broken long
glass rods that made up the stalk of a fruit fungus, magnified
200 times, Fig. 5.
The surface losses on the models were generally small
(approximately 1 × 2 mm), and they were filled with the B-72
slurries described above. Experiments with various mixtures of
solvents led to the conclusion that a higher proportion of ethanol
provided more working time, less stickiness and a more even Fig. 6 Dicanthelium xanthophysum, ‘panic grass’, magnified flower.
application than mixtures with higher acetone concentrations. Model 774 (1923), Botanical Museum, Harvard University
The resulting mixture of 80% acetone and 20% ethanol seemed Herbaria; after treatment.
to work best.
An extensive conservation effort was made in re-treating the
magnified grass flower. This had been previously poorly repaired
with cellulose nitrate and required complete re-treatment as well
as loss compensation. Three small losses in the glass leaf were
filled with detachable plaster fills [3, 6], which were then molded
in silicone rubber and cast with tinted epoxy (Hxtal NYL-1).
When finished, these small fills were adhered in place using
B-72 adhesive, before reassembling the flower leaf, Fig. 6. Part
of this treatment was included in the conservation video that was
shown in the exhibition.

EXHIBIT
All of the models were displayed in individual cases that
required no artificial environmental buffering because the CMoG
is climate-controlled at 20–23°C with a relative humidity of
40–55%. The exhibition gallery was illuminated with ceiling-
mounted track lights, all with ultraviolet filters. There were no
internal case lights. The overall ambient lighting in the gallery
was kept low while the models were illuminated to a level of
c. 10 footcandles (or 100 lux) to allow the objects to ‘stand out’.
To safeguard the original light-sensitive pigments used by the
Blaschkas in their pencil, ink and watercolor drawings, the 30
‘flat’ works were framed with UF-3 plexiglass (Perspex) glazing
and placed along one wall with light levels set at a lower 4–5
footcandles (40–50 lux), Fig. 7.
EDUCATIONAL COLLABORATION
Sixty exceptional drawings from the more than 900 examples
in the joint museums’ collections were selected for a compan-
ion book, Drawing Upon Nature: Studies for the Blaschkas’
Glass Models, written by Susan M. Rossi-Wilcox and David
Whitehouse. The CMoG’s 46th annual Seminar on Glass, held
Fig. 7 Display of Blaschka pencil, ink and watercolor drawings in the
gallery.
11–13 October 2007, featured lectures about nature in glass,
including the work of the Blaschkas, naturalism and Art Nouveau,
and reflections of nature in contemporary glass.
Weekly public tours of the exhibition were presented by Dr
Whitehouse, the museum’s executive director and co-curator
of the exhibit. Glass modeling demonstrations, using some
conventional nineteenth-century flameworking techniques that
would have been used by the Blaschkas, were given several
times a day.
An audio self-guided tour of the exhibition included a detailed
history of the Blaschkas, explanations of manufacturing tech-
niques, and observations on the glass models. It also incorporated
interviews with curators and conservators, who detailed the
challenges faced in restoring and exhibiting the fragile models.

47

Fig. 8 On the right: Conservation laboratory mock-up, with video, in
the gallery; on the left: ‘Draw Like the Blaschkas’ set-up.
Conservation Display
A small but realistic conservation laboratory was re-created as
the concluding exhibit. It illustrated and explained the types
of materials, equipment and rationale for conservation of the
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Blaschka models, Fig. 8. The display included a microscope,
typical conservation tools, adhesives, consolidants, pigmented
slurries, and other materials that were used during the treatment
of the models. A continuous video loop of some of the conser-
vation treatments was shown on a screen, behind the laboratory
mock-up. The following explanatory label was posted alongside
the display:
THE FUTURE: PRESERVING THE GLASS FLOWERS
Along with research, conservation and preservation of the
collections are an important part of a museum’s stewardship.
This video and laboratory set-up provide a glimpse into the
world of conservation where two conservators Stephen P.
Koob, from The Corning Museum of Glass, and Scott E.
Fulton, from Harvard University, are collaborating on the
stabilization, cleaning and repair of the flowers. One of
the treatments in the video is the repair and restoration of
the magnified grass flower on view in the previous gallery.
A conservation lab is being planned by Robert E. Cook, the
director of the Harvard University Herbaria, and will be
housed near the Harvard Museum of Natural History where
the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants (The
Glass Flowers) is on permanent exhibition.
The conservation display offered the public a ‘behind-the-scenes’
look at some of the details required in preparing the models
for the exhibition. Surveys from visitors confirmed that the
subject was very well received and that viewers wanted more
information [7].
Drawing like the Blaschkas
On a long table that was set up opposite the conservation
display, visitors were invited to ‘draw like the Blaschkas’. The
table was stocked with paper, pencils and a variety of modern
flowers, shells, and other objects to serve as inspiration. Visitors
took their drawings home to remind them of their experience,
see Fig. 8.
CONCLUSIONS
The ‘Botanical Wonders’ exhibition required an extensive
collaboration involving conservation, exhibition, design, educa-
tion, curatorial and registration departments of the two muse-
ums. Despite the demands on staff time and expertise, this co-
operative venture resulted in one of the most popular and highly
acclaimed shows ever offered at The Corning Museum of Glass.
48
The exhibition was extensively covered both nationally and
internationally by print and broadcast media.
Risk Management
In the course of preparing for the exhibition, all projected risks
to the models were discussed, assessed and kept to an absolute
minimum. The preliminary stabilization done at Harvard, along
with the expert planning, mounting, and packing of the models,
ensured their safe travel to Corning. The authors believed that
the greatest risks would be mishandling or excess vibrations,
most notably during the transportation by truck and within the
museums. Therefore, the handling of the models was restricted
to the conservators and curator of the Ware Collection, which
addressed the first concern, and the careful mounting and protec-
tive ‘pillowing’ kept the models free of damage from vibration.
Only one leaf, and two small petals became detached during
transit, and these were previous repairs that failed, not new
damage.
During the installation of ‘Botanical Wonders’, access to the
exhibit gallery was restricted to the staff members who were
working with the models. Design, lighting and photographic
personnel were allowed in the exhibition space only after the
cases had been closed.
MATERALS AND SUPPLIERS
Fumed colloidal silica (Aerosil 202): Degussa Corporation, 65
Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660, USA.
Ethulose (ethylhydroxyethylcellulose): Conservators Emporium, c/o
Museum Services.
Corporation, 385 Bridgepoint Drive, South St Paul, MN 55075, USA.
Ethafoam®, Plastizote, polyester fiber, urethane foam: United Foam
Plastics, 172 E. Main Street, Georgetown, MA 01833, USA.
Gatorfoam®: Charrette Office Supply, PO Box 4010, Woburn, MA
01888-4010, USA.
REFERENCES
1 Pantano, C.G., Rossi-Wilcox, S., and Lange, D., ‘The Glass Flow-
ers: Prehistory and History of Glassmaking Technology’, American
Ceramic Society 8 (1998) 61–78.
2 Smith McNally, R., and Buschini, N., ‘The Harvard glass flowers:
materials and techniques’, Journal of the American Institute for
Conservation 32 (1993) 231–240.
3 Koob, S.P., Conservation and Care of Glass Objects, Archetype
Publications, in Association with The Corning Museum of Glass,
Corning, New York (2006).
4 Peschken, S., and Fulton, S., Examination and treatment report for
the structural repair of Harvard Botanical Museum Glass Flower
model # BM-303, “Gynandropsis speciosa”, conservation treatment
report, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (1995)
(unpublished).
5 Fulton, S.E., and Rossi-Wilcox, S., ‘Harvard’s glass flowers: a case
study in traveling a fragile collection’, Journal of the American
Institute for Conservation 47 (2008) 15–26.
6 Koob, S.P., ‘New techniques for the repair and restoration of ancient
glass’, in Tradition and Innovation: Advances in Conservation,
ed. A. Roy and P. Smith, International Institute for Conservation,
London (2000) 92–95.
7 Podany, J.C., and Maish, S.L., ‘Can the complex be made simple:
informing the public about conservation through museum exhib-
its’, Journal of the American Institute for Conservation 32 (1993)
101–108.
AUTHORS
Stephen P. Koob received an MA (1976) in classical archaeology from
Indiana University, and a BSc (1980) in archaeological conservation
and materials science from the Institute of Archaeology, University of
London. From 1986 to 1998 he worked as conservator, specializing in
ceramics and glass, at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler
Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. In 1998 he took up
 the position of conservator at The Corning Museum of Glass. Address:
The Corning Museum of Glass, One Museum Way, Corning, NY, 14830,
USA. Email: koobsp@cmog.org
Scott E. Fulton received a BA following studies in printmaking methods
and art history at Middlebury College, Vermont and at Berea College,
Kentucky (1971). He completed graduate level training in objects
conservation (artifacts stream) at Queen’s University, Ontario (MAC
1988). He is currently conservator of objects at the Peabody Museum of
Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University where he has served
since 1988. His association with Harvard’s glass flowers began in
1996 as a collaborative effort between the Botanical Museum, Harvard
University, and the Peabody Museum to preserve the collection. Address:
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University,
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49
11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Email: sfulton@fas.
harvard.edu
Susan M. Rossi-Wilcox retired in June 2007 as the administrator for
the glass flowers collection and curatorial associate at the Botanical
Museum, Harvard University. She received a BA from the University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill (botany, 1976), and an ALM from Harvard
University Extension School (history of science, 1991). She co-curated
Botanical Wonders at the CMoG, and co-authored Drawing upon
Nature: Studies for the Blaschkas’ Glass Models. She served on the
board of directors of the Glass Art Society where she is currently the
journal editor. Address: 1604 Belle Terre Ave., Niles, OH 44446, USA.
Email: srossiwilcox@att.net