Glass act

The work was funded by Elizabeth C. Ware and her daughter, Mary Lee Ware, hence the collection’s name. Now, as then, the 3,000 or so glass models on show are displayed in wooden and glass cases, with simple, old-fashioned taxonomic labels. Over the years, they have become more fragile (glass can degrade in time), so are being carefully renovated where necessary.

The versatility of glass in the right hands is amply demonstrated by these flowers: the models depict anything from sturdy cacti, with each needle-like spine crafted, to delicate pasque flowers (Anemone pulsatilla), complete with every hair on the leaves and flowers. The Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora), which is a saprophytic plant without chlorophyll, is practically transparent. No flower part, however small, is fudged or distorted. The delicate craftsmanship and botanical accuracy are astonishing, as are the colours, mostly still vibrant after more than a century. I was especially struck by the Red Maple, Acer rubrum, in its resplendent ‘fall’ colours; particularly because the way the branch and leaves are arranged speaks of an artistic sensibility. But there is also a solid scientific basis to the works; the Blaschkas must have used microscopes when shaping the wafer-thin, transverse sections through ovaries, magnified as much as 200 times. I had difficulty sometimes believing that the models were inanimate.

Leopold died in 1895, and Rudolph in 1939. With him, died the skills necessary for the work. So the Ware Glass Flower collection at Harvard represents a unique mixture of artistry, craftsmanship and scientific understanding, unlikely ever to be replicated. They are worth crossing an ocean to see.

The Harvard Museum of Natural History is at 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Mass. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week; adult admission is $9.00.