Inspiration
In 1827, Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward of London, England, made the accidental discovery of fern spores germinating in the glass bottles he was using to house moth cocoons. An avid plant collector, Ward had been having trouble growing ferns in his garden due to London’s air pollution, which at the time consisted heavily of coal smoke and sulphuric acid. Upon observing the germinating ferns within the bottles, he had a carpenter construct a tightly-fitted wood and glass-paneled case. The ferns he placed within it thrived.
The case would eventually be called a Wardian case, in honor of the doctor, and would revolutionize the transport of exotic plants. For the first time, horticulturists and collectors were able to bring back sensitive tropical plants, using Wardian cases to protect specimens from the salty air and changing climatic conditions of long sea voyages. These cases were modified into different shapes and sizes, and became extremely popular during the Victorian era. At the same time, with the production of better quality glass and the use of metal framing, conservatories and glass houses were being constructed. Up until this point, conservatories were largely reserved for the wealthy as small extensions to their homes. But these large-scale glass structures allowed the general public to be exposed to exotic species, both plants and animals, from all over the globe.
Now, nearly two centuries later, as tools and materials have advanced, so have the designs and types of organisms kept within these glass boxes. More than just displaying animals in stark containers, many modern glass box hobbyists seek an aesthetic of naturalistic design, taking cues from the ecosystems and habitats in which the animals originated and creating contained slices of nature.
In order to celebrate this glass box tradition, the organisms around which it has developed, and explore the ways in which they can be conserved, TWI has created Microcosm.
