#  Glass Flowers: The Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants 

 



   ![Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Pride of Barbados](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/2025-02/Image%204.1.jpg?itok=U3-R85tj) 

 

*Caesalpinia pulcherrima,* Pride of Barbados, Model 569, Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, 1895

 

 

 

[**General admission**](https://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/plan-your-visit) **includes access to the Glass Flowers Gallery.**

One of Harvard University’s most famous treasures is the internationally acclaimed Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, better known as the “Glass Flowers." This unique collection was made by Leopold (1822-1895) and Rudolf Blaschka (1857-1939), a father and son team of Czech glass artists. Over fifty years, from 1886 through 1936, the Blaschkas produced 4,300 glass models that represent 780 plant species.

The Glass Flowers gallery underwent a historic renovation in 2016. Improvements include rebuilding the original display cases, in use since the 1890s, and installing state-of-the-art lighting and climate control systems. The reconfigured gallery with updated scientific interpretation showcases the ongoing relevance of the collection and enriches the visitors’ experience of the models.

[The Blaschkas at the Microscope: Lessons in Botany](/blaschkas-microscope "The Blaschkas at the Microscope: Lessons in Botany") is a new Glass Flowers exhibition that delves into captivating educational models that meticulously illustrate the life cycles of non-flowering, spore-forming plants and fungi.

[In-person private group tours are available through reservation. ](/group-visits "Groups")

*This exhibition is supported by a generous gift in memory of Melvin R. Seiden AB ’52, LLB ’55 and a grant provided by the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, a program of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts administered through a collaborative arrangement between MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The conservation of the Glass Flowers is supported by a gift from George Putnam III ’73, J.D. ’77, M.B.A. ’77, and Kathy Putnam.*

   ![ma-cultural-council-image.small_.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/hmnh/files/ma-cultural-council-image.small_.jpg?itok=6a-njkst) 

 

   ![mass.dev_.logo_.small_.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/hmnh/files/mass.dev_.logo_.small_.jpg?itok=ECJ2Osra) 

 



 

### From the Hands of the Makers Online Exhibition 

 

Over the course of fifty years, Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, father and son, continually experimented with materials and methods that pushed the boundaries of glassworking.



 [ Learn more about the making of the Glass Flowers arrow\_circle\_right ](https://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/makers) 

 



      ![Glass water lily](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_1_1__480x480/public/2025-02/Ware_731_Kent_F-square.jpg?itok=iIC07C7Q) 

 

 

  

 



 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 

##  Frequently Asked Questions 

 



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###    Are they really glass?  expand\_more  

 

Yes, the models are made entirely of glass often reinforced internally with a wire support.



 

 

 



###    Who made the Glass Flowers?  expand\_more  

 

The models were created by father and son Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, nineteenth century glass artisans who perfected their family craft. Their lineage of jewelers and glassmakers trace as far back as the fifteenth century.



 

 

 



###    How were the models made?  expand\_more  

 

The parts were shaped after the glass was softened by heat. Some models were blown. Colored glass was used for many, others were "cold painted" with a thin wash of colored ground glass or metal oxide(s) and heated until the material fused to the model.



 

 

 



###    When were they made?  expand\_more  

 

The models were made from 1887 through 1936.



 

 

 



###    Where were the Glass Flowers made?  expand\_more  

 

The Blaschka's studio was located in Hosterwitz, near Dresden, Germany.



 

 

 



###    Why were the models made?  expand\_more  

 

 Harvard Professor George Lincoln Goodale, founder of the Botanical Museum, wanted life-like representatives of the plant kingdom for teaching botany. At the time only crude papier-mâché or wax models were available.

 The life-size models include 847 species, with remarkably accurate anatomical sections and enlarged flower parts. Since the Glass Flowers are always in bloom, tropical and temperate species may be studied year-round.



 

 

 



###    Who gave the models to Harvard?  expand\_more  

 

Mrs. Elizabeth C. Ware and her daughter Mary Lee Ware financed the collection and presented it to Harvard University as a memorial to Dr. Charles Eliot Ware, Class of 1834.