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Article: The eighteenth-century mania for hyacinths.
- Article from:
- The Magazine Antiques
- Article date:
- June 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Brant Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In 1749 Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau (1700-1782) reported to the French Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris that he had successfully raised hyacinth and narcissus blooms by placing the bulbs on bottles filled with water.(1) From the late seventeenth century hyacinths and tulips in earth-filled pots had been enticed to bloom in winter by keeping them warm.(2) However, with Duhamel's finding, the drama of plant growth was now observable through transparent glass vessels filled with water. While this was an important discovery for botanists, proving that water alone was sufficient for the growth of plants, it had a far greater impact in the fashionable salons of France, ...