Details:
The Reichenbachia is a late 19th century collection of orchid prints produced by Frederick Sander, also known as the “Orchid King”. Sander sent orchid hunters around the globe to bring back “new” orchids to market in his greenhouses in London, Belgium, and the US – fueling a Victorian-era orchid mania.
Each of the 192 orchid prints in this collection is accompanied by a scientific description written by German botanist Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach, for whom the project was named. The text also describes the original habitat where each orchid was found and provides practical advice on keeping them.
The Garden’s collection belongs to a larger, limited edition set of 100 “Imperial Editions”. The printing method is called chromolithography, in which each color of an original watercolor painting was recreated on separate printing blocks, then combined to form the images you see on each print.
Please enjoy a glimpse at this fantastic collection of orchid art, science, and history. For further information or to view the entire collection, please follow the link below for our digital Reichenbachia exhibit and gallery.
FULL REICHENBACHIA EXHIBIT AND GALLERY
