Turning Over An Old Leaf 



by Patricia M. Williams 

 Field Museum Press 



The Stanley Field Plant Reproduction Laboratory 

 oj Field Museum has produced the most extensive 

 series of plant reproductions in the world. Here 

 Mrs. Williams tells the story of plant modeling. 

 Shown above is a model of the peanut plant, Arachis 

 hypogaea. 



Today, with department stores, drug stores and discount 

 stores all selling fairly lifelike artificial flowers and plants, 

 the marvelous Museum plant reproductions may too easily 

 be taken for granted. Although understandable, this is un- 

 fortunate because these plant reproductions represent a con- 

 tinuing program of experimentation and artistry spanning 

 many years. 



Before the turn of the century, "taxidermists had been 

 purchasing heavy leaves from manufacturers of millinery 

 supplies and wiring them to any sort of branch in order to 

 provide 'atmosphere' for their groups of mounted animals."' 

 Probably the color of the leaves was determined more by 

 the current styles than by the reality of nature and "... the 

 effect produced was so completely lacking in scientific ac- 

 curacy that the use of such crude-looking accessories may 

 have served to prejudice curators against the habitat group 

 as a museum exhibit." - 



The first real improvement in plant reproduction was 

 made by the Mintorn brothers and their sister, Mrs. Mo- 

 gridge, for the British Museum (Natural History). "They 

 had invented a process of manufacturing flowers and leaves 

 which were so perfectly modeled and natural in appearance 

 that they became one of the wonders of London."^ Midst 

 great fanfare the Mintorns were brought to the American 

 Museum of Natural History to create the accessory foliage 

 for Jenness Richardson's groups of North American birds. 



Page 10 .\0V EMBER 



