Orchid Show, Haupt Conservatory, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, New York

The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is a greenhouse, a major part of the New York Botanical Garden. Inspiration for the park and the conservatory stemmed from Nathaniel Lord Britton and his wife Elizabeth. The couple had visited the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew on their honeymoon and thought a similar park and conservatory should be built for New York City.  The conservatory was designed by the major greenhouse company of the time, Lord and Burnham Co. The design was modeled after the Palm House at the Royal Botanic Garden and Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace in Italian Renaissance style. Groundbreaking took place on January 3, 1899 and construction was completed in 1902.  The 1978 renovation was a turning point for the conservatory as it exists today. By the 1970s, the building was in a state of extreme disrepair and had to be either substantially rebuilt or torn down. Enid Annenberg Haupt (editor Seventeen magazine) saved the conservatory from demolition with a $5 million contribution for renovation and a $5 million endowment for maintenance of the building.

Moth Orchid

Pansy Orchid