Flowers made of glass—even the rotten fruit

The leaves and petals of these plants were shaped from glass.

Look closely: the veins, colours and delicate forms were carefully recreated by hand.

Harvard’s hand-crafted botanical glass models, shown in the university’s film — Harvard University. Film directed/edited by Ned Brown; cinematography Joe Sherman, Kai-Jae Wang and Ned Brown. Documentary excerpt/frame.

Father and son Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka made thousands of botanical glass models for Harvard between 1886 and 1936.

They were teaching tools: lifelike plants students could examine throughout the year.

The Harvard botanical glass model collection in its teaching display cases — Harvard University. Film directed/edited by Ned Brown; cinematography Joe Sherman, Kai-Jae Wang and Ned Brown. Documentary excerpt/frame.

They even recreated rotting fruit and diseased leaves.

The brown rot on this apple was deliberately modelled. They preserved the details of decay in glass.

Jennifer Brown prepares a glass apple deliberately modelled with brown rot — Rose Lincoln / Harvard Staff Photographer. Original photograph resized.

The leaves and petals of these plants were shaped from glass.

Look closely: the veins, colours and delicate forms were carefully recreated by hand.
Father and son Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka made thousands of botanical glass models for Harvard between 1886 and 1936.

They were teaching tools: lifelike plants students could examine throughout the year.
They even recreated rotting fruit and diseased leaves.

The brown rot on this apple was deliberately modelled. They preserved the details of decay in glass.

Flowers made of glass—even the rotten fruit

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