Established in 1998, the Harvard Museum of Natural History is the representative “face” for three research museums: the Harvard University Herbaria, the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and the Mineralogical & Geological Museum. The museum’s mission is to “enhance public understanding and appreciation of the natural world and the human place in it.” One of the most prominent displays in the Harvard Museum is the glass flowers collection.
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Harvard commissioned the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models in the 1800s as part of a teaching initiative. At the time, there were no models of plants, which made teaching botany challenging. The innovative glass flowers created by Czech artists Leopold Blaschka and his son Rudolf are so precise that they appear real.
The father-son team worked from 1886 through 1936, producing 4,300 models representing 780 plant species. In 2016, the exhibit received improvements to update display cases, climate control systems, and lighting.
The facility offers guided tours, led by Collection Manager Jenny Brown, who tells the fascinating history of the glass flowers. The museum limits each tour group to thirty people, and it is first come, first served. Contact the museum to make better arrangements if you have a larger group or a school field trip.
The Harvard Admissions Office uses a YouTube video to introduce the glass flowers collection. It is a fascinating way to spend the next four and a half minutes.
Although not nearly as detailed, the Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, erects a glass Christmas tree yearly. The tree is a community project using recycled glass that is recycled after the holiday.
The Harvard Natural History Museum Glass Flower collection should be on your bucket list.
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