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Robbins-Mills Collection of Herbert Wendell Gleason Photographic Negatives, 1899-1937 Concord Free Public Library — Special Collections |
Series VI – Arnold Arboretum, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Harvard University, New England Flower Shows, and Nurseries, 1909-1937
Series VI (29 glass, 723 film) is organized into five subseries. Arrangement within subseries or sub-subseries is by date. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society is organized into two sub-subseries: exhibitions and botanical prints. Harvard University is organized into two sub-subseries: Gray Herbarium (named after Asa Gray who created the botany department, the botanical library, and herbarium at Harvard) and the Harvard Botanical Garden. The New England Flower Shows are arranged by the name of the flower show (i.e. Newport Flower Show). The Arnold Arboretum subseries contains over 350 botanical images, including flowers, plants, and trees photographed from 1909-1937. Gleason's earliest photographs include views of ice-coated bushes and trees taken in 1901.
A large proportion of the negatives date between 1934 and 1936, the years when Gleason was employed as an official photographer for the Arboretum. Highlights include over 120 lilac images ("Jan van Tol," "Paul Thirion," "Leon Mathieu," and others). The Massachusetts Horticultural Society annual exhibits (1921-1936) include: flower exhibits, bulb garden exhibits, flower pictures, vegetable exhibits, window exhibits, and Christmas wreaths. The names associated with the exhibits include many prominent individuals (see also Series III-V) and garden clubs. Gleason copied twelve rose prints from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Harvard University botanical images include Erigeron Muirii at the Gray Herbarium, and Dombeya Wallich at the Harvard Botanical Garden. Gleason photographed New England flower shows from 1926-1935. Shows include: Chestnut Hill, MA, Cohasset, MA, North Andover, MA, Newport, RI, and Providence, RI. The flower shows highlight the gardens of many prominent individuals (see also Series III and Series V). Gleason sold two prints to Garden Digest (VI.F.1929.11 FILM and VI.H.1934.1 FILM).