Pennsylvania Horticultural Society - Philadelphia Flower Show

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  • Location Covered = Horticultural Hall (Philadelphia, Pa. : 1882-1893)

About This Collection

This collection consists of documentation related to the Philadelphia Flower Show from 1829 to the present including tickets, advertisements, posters and high-quality photographs to exhibits and promotional events. Some of the images include buildings that no longer exist, such as Philadelphia's Commercial Museum and Civic Center.
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1882 Second Horticultural Hall. Exterior View
1882 Second Horticultural Hall. Exterior View
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Hutton, Addison, 1834-1916
After the first hall was destroyed by fire in 1881, a second Horticultural Hall, built on the same location, was completed in 1882 designed by prominent Philadelphia architect Addison Hutton. In 1893, history repeated itself; during a candy fair, what began as a small fire quickly spread to the ceiling decorations hanging throughout the hall. Within a short time, the building was destroyed.
1889 Horticultural Hall Interior View, Banquet for Master Builder's Exchange
1889 Horticultural Hall Interior View, Banquet for Master Builder's Exchange
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Master Builder's Exchange (Philadelphia, Pa.), Florists Club of Philadelphia
Horticultural Hall had many uses. It was the meeting place for PHS members, housed its library, and was the venue for shows. It was also used as a rental facility. Shown here is a banquet held in the late 1880s for the Master Builder's Exchange, seating 750. This second Horticultural Hall was also home to the Florists Club of Philadelphia, which had a bowling alley where matches among florists were routinely held.
1891 Grand Exhibition Chrysanthemums, Horticultural Hall Philadelphia
1891 Grand Exhibition Chrysanthemums, Horticultural Hall Philadelphia
Flower shows -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia, Chrysanthemums, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Chrysanthemum Show (1891), Exhibition catalogs
Cover of the catalog of Grand exhibition of Chrysanthemums, Horticultural Hall, Philadelphia, November 9 - 14, 1891.
1891 Hints on Cacti A. Blanc & Co, Philadelphia, Pa.
1891 Hints on Cacti A. Blanc & Co, Philadelphia, Pa.
A. Blanc & Co., Cactus, Philadelphia Flower Show (1891 : Philadelphia, Pa.), Blanc, Albert A., 1850-1928, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
While the fall shows of the 1880s and 1890s continued to feature chrysanthemums, Albert Blanc was attracting attention with his displays of cactus, a novelty at that time. Blanc was a cactus collector-turned-dealer. Through his exhibits, such as the one shown in the foreground of this photograph from The American Florist, and his mail order catalog, Hints on Cacti, he started a cactus craze in the 1890s in the United States. He was awarded a special premium for his display in the 1891 show and won a $50 prize.
1892 Grand Orchid Show and Exhibition of Spring Flowers
1892 Grand Orchid Show and Exhibition of Spring Flowers
Philadelphia Flower Show (1892 : Philadelphia, Pa.), Flower shows -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia, Pitcher & Manda, Siebrecht & Wadley, Orchids
Beginning in 1890, the Florists Club of Philadelphia handled the decorations for PHS's spring and fall shows, turning Horticultural Hall into "a veritable bower of grace and beauty," according to a review in The American Florist. Orchid displays from Pitcher & Manda of Short Hills, New Jersey, and Siebrecht & Wadley of New Rochelle, New York, were much admired.