A Winter Garden in Cambridge, MA

These words from an old Ernie Sheldon folk song capture the sentiment of the season. If only we could have flowers all year ‘round.  Well, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we can.

The long-stemmed irises are perfect—just the right shade of periwinkle blue with gracefully arched fleur-de-lis petals. Nearby, delicate fringe of a bachelor button lightly supports a butterfly, while a ring of orange petals surrounds the velvet brown center of a cone plant, commonly called  “black-eyed Susan.”  No, I’m not admiring an outdoor garden as I write this, but at Harvard University’s Museum of Natural History, which is open to the public all year. The best part of this flower show is that its profusion of color perpetually blooms.  If you go, you’ll see blossoms and buds that look so real, you won’t believe the sign telling you they are glass! Each petal, pistil, stamen and leaf has been superbly handcrafted by a pair of exceptionally skilled artisans.

Lately, you’ve probably noticed that glass has becoming the darling of the art world, with museums and galleries highlighting the relatively recent popularity of this “new” medium. However, Harvard’s celebrated Glass Flowers, (officially the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants) have been on display since 1887.

Its chemical and physical properties are so unique that, paradoxically, glass is simultaneously fragile and enduring. The malleability of molten glass combined with the tensile strength of cooled glass make it perfect for both science and art.

            The father-and-son team of Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka created more than 4,000 scientific replicas (847 plant species) between 1886 and 1936. Models were crafted to provide scientifically accurate reproductions for research and teaching purposes and also to supply the intellectually curious of the time with samples for collecting.  In the process, exquisitely beautiful and intricate art forms were produced that articulated the contours of the botanical world and captured the luminosity of nature.

            Since the 15th century, the Blaschka family had been glassmakers in Bohemia, where they experimented to create just the right, desired effects, staining the glass to vary translucency, working different melting temperatures to intensify colors, and ultimately manufacturing their own glass.

            "Many people think that we have some secret apparatus by which we can squeeze glass suddenly into these forms, but it is not so," explained Leopold Blaschka to 19^th century observers. Actually, the Blaschkas worked for several months producing like-patterned petals and leaves of related species, and carefully storing them in drawers according to genus. For the next three months, they assembled the pieces. Incredibly, at the height of their activity in the late 1890s, often working 14 hours a day, they sent as many as 100 sets of models per year to Harvard, each set comprising five to ten pieces.

Without doubt, they observed nature meticulously. However, that authenticity is not only adroitly achieved but also gracefully presented and inherently artistic. Every one of the individual specimens with its elegant composition and aesthetic appeal can stand alone as a superb glass sculpture.

            You really must see these near-magical masterpieces. Approximately 200,000 visitors annually view the famous Glass Flowers that have been on display for more than a 100 years. I’m sure, like me, you’ll love viewing them in any season, but I suggest you visit during the winter for as the song says,