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Lot Essay
These seemingly otherworldly botanical models were made to aide in botany lessons before the availability of cameras and other scientific instruments. As such, these large detailed models were made perfectly to scale, and many display cross-sections or can even be taken apart to show the complex inner workings of a plant.
The didactic models were made in Germany from the late 1800s until the 1920s by father and son duo Robert and Reinhold Brendel, who had workshops in Breslau and Berlin. They were constructed using a variety of organic materials: primarily papier-mâché and wood, but depending on the specimen they sometimes used canvas, card, rattan, beads, or wool to accurately portray flocking and other unique textural aspects of the flowers.
The Brendels quickly found a niche market for their creations. They were distributed by a number of different retailers including Lenoir & Forster of Wien and Merkelbach and Co. of Amsterdam and were met with great enthusiasm, particularly in Britain. The scientific community was keenly interested in natural history at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries, thus these models were especially desirable for schools, universities, and burgeoning museum collections. While they may no longer be necessary tools for scientific studies today, they remain widely admired as works of art and sought-after collectibles that serve as a physical testimony to the historical progress of science and technology
The didactic models were made in Germany from the late 1800s until the 1920s by father and son duo Robert and Reinhold Brendel, who had workshops in Breslau and Berlin. They were constructed using a variety of organic materials: primarily papier-mâché and wood, but depending on the specimen they sometimes used canvas, card, rattan, beads, or wool to accurately portray flocking and other unique textural aspects of the flowers.
The Brendels quickly found a niche market for their creations. They were distributed by a number of different retailers including Lenoir & Forster of Wien and Merkelbach and Co. of Amsterdam and were met with great enthusiasm, particularly in Britain. The scientific community was keenly interested in natural history at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries, thus these models were especially desirable for schools, universities, and burgeoning museum collections. While they may no longer be necessary tools for scientific studies today, they remain widely admired as works of art and sought-after collectibles that serve as a physical testimony to the historical progress of science and technology