On Wednesday, June 10, 2015, 11
a.m. at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Avenue in Norwalk,
CT, Curator Jim Donahue will give a
talk entitled, Gilded Age Conservatories.
The late 19th and early
20th centuries witnessed the culmination of private and public
conservatory construction in the United States. Elaborate arrangements of
exotic orchids, tropical palms, and a myriad of ferns filled these extravagant glass
structures. Private conservatories of the Gilded Age were part of the family’s living
space, decorated with specimen plants, and used for entertaining guests. Fueled
by new technologies and horticultural discoveries from faraway places, the Victorians
displayed their collections while the associated costs of building and
maintaining the conservatory and its contents affirmed the occupant’s
aristocratic aspirations. Often, the cultivation process did not take place
within the conservatory itself, but in an offsite greenhouse.
 |
| Elms Conservatory 1901 |
Jim Donahue is Curator of Historic Landscapes and
Horticulture at the Preservation Society of Newport County. He holds a Master’s
Degree in Landscape Design from the Conway School of Landscape Design in Massachusetts.
He is currently putting together a conservatory-themed exhibit, focused on 19th
century collectors' plants, for the upcoming Newport Flower Show, June 19-21 at
Rosecliff.
This will be the second in a series
of lectures by curators and experts in the field of Victorian era material
life. The lectures are $25 for members,
$30 for non-members per session. Please RSVP by Friday, June 5, 2015.
The price includes lecture, lunch
and a first floor Mansion tour. Lunch is courtesy of Michael Gilmartin's Outdoor Cookers Catering & Event Planning. The chair of the Lecture Committee is Mimi Findlay of New Canaan. Please
contact info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com or 203-838-9799, ext. 4 to purchase tickets.
The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum
is a National Historic Landmark. For additional information on schedules and
programs please visit: www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com,
e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com,
or call 203-838-9799.
For area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com
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