Maggie Lidz, Winterthur’s estate historian, writes:
Winterthur has so many unexpected treasures. The seed and bulb catalogues preserved for decades in the garden office reveals not just the horticultural history but the political and technological changes of the 20th century. This one catalogue, chosen nearly at random (but really because of the eye-catching red, green and yellow of the cover) is from Henderson, Autumn, 1935.
The cover image is a rather rare photo of the British Empire Garden on the roof top of the newly completed Rockefeller Center. The brilliant red of the tulips and of the red and white striped umbrellas are a colorful note, the bold colors in keeping with the proud modernism of the enterprise. This 1935 catalogue offers a different perspective than the usual one available to researchers today, which tends to a professionally taken over- head or long shot. It is to my knowledge, unique. One thing that is kind of funny is that H.F. du Pont would have known that garden fairly well, as his shirt-maker was located right there!
H.F. du Pont’s shirtmaker’s letterhead, Winterthur Archives.
Here are some other images from that catalogue:
A tulip display in a impressionistic color palette.
Beautiful watercolors of the tulips.
Henderson’s peonies, advertised as modern,
in contrast to the usual advertising strategy today which would be heritage breed or old-fashioned!
