Glass House of Dreams

Book excerpt: Glass House of Dreams celebrates the City of Baltimore's landmark Victorian glass palace, one of the surviving architectural treasures in historic Druid Hill Park. An extensive collection of original lithographic postcards illustrate the history of this 1888 botanical conservatory, the second oldest glass house in America. The book's author, Margaret Haviland Stansbury, is founder of the non-profit Baltimore Conservatory Association that worked with the City to bring this Victorian jewel back to life. The original Palm House featuring 175 glass windows, many of them curved, is once again packed with exotic flora from around the world. The real excitement of this book is a portfolio of stunning new photographs by David Simpson. Simpson's cutting-edge photographs not only capture the elegance of this architectural gem, but also present us with intimate images that portray the beauty of its individual plants and flowers. This book, celebrating the past, present and future of The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens, will be released in Fall 2010.