Lindenia - Iconographie des Orchidees  Vol. 2

Fascination with orchids started in Europe around 1818. People became so taken with orchids that they reached a state popularly described as an orchidelirium. The demand for these exotic beauties was so great that orchids became a big business. The wealthy commissioned professional plant explorers (Orchid Hunters) to gather plants from equatorial regions around the world.

Please click on the thumbnail at the bottom of the page to see the original prints which appeared in Volume two of the second series in 1896.

During the second half of the nineteenth century, Belgium became the center of the world for the cultivation of orchids. Jean Linden (1817-1898) was instrumental in the discovery and introduction of many new species. A native of Luxembourg, he moved to Belgium where he imported more than 1,100 different orchids. His explorations included trips to South America, Cuba, Mexico and the United States. With his son Lucien he founded a nursery known as Horticulture Internationale in Brussels. Together they published "Lindenia - Iconographie des Orchidees" an extensive work issued in monthly parts by subscription over a period of 17 years.

Lindenia Iconographie des Orchidées is one of the most important periodic publications on orchids to be published during the nineteenth century, with coloured plates of the highest quality.

Jean Linden was perhaps the greatest of all the late 19th century commercial orchid growers, and, in conjunction with his son Lucien (1853-1940), he was responsible for importing more than 1100 different species to Europe. Born in Luxemburg in 1817, Jean Linden was one of the first students to attend the Faculty of Sciences in the newly established University of Brussels and at the early age of 19 was entrusted with a scientific mission to South America by the Belgian government. This was the start of what was to be a ten-year period when he travelled throughout South and Central America in search of new orchid species. He returned to Europe in October 1845 and initially established himself as a nurseryman in Ghent before moving to Brussels 'where he founded the establishment known as Horticulture Internationale in conjunction with his son Lucien. In this nursery, which became a model for the profession, Linden's knowledge of plants and the localities in which they grew naturally proved invaluable. Direct competition with Messrs. Sander in England kept him alert in the search for new and desirable species, resulting in the exploration of many far-flung regions where orchids might be found.' (Reinikka 'A History of the Orchid', 1995, p. 206). The present work, as the name suggests, is in essence a celebration of his professional life and work and recognizes the enormous influence he had on both the discovery of new species and the breeding of new hybrids.

Each of the orchid species or hybrids are represented by a very high quality full-colour chromolithograph. The plates are printed by some of the best botanical lithographers of the period including Severeyns and de Pannemaeker from the work of Alfred Goosens and other top botanical artists. The present set is volume two of the second series. The periodical was eventually completed in 17 volumes in 1903 with 813 plates over a period of 17 years.

Nissen BBI 2348; Stafleu & Cowan TL2 4628; Timby The Orchid Observed, Stanford, 1982, number 27.

These web images are electronically watermarked, the prints themselves are not.

529	DXXIX	CYPRIPEDIUM  X  LEBAUDYANUM HORT.
530-531	DXXX-DXXI	CATTLEYA TRIANAE LIND. VARIETATES  The original has been sold. However a high quality pigmented (Giclée) modern reproduction Fine Art Print is available. Please click here for information.
532	DXXXII	COELOGYNE LURIDA L. LIND. Et COGN.
533	DXXXIII	LAELIA HARPOPHYLLA RCHB. F.
534	DXXXIV	ODONTOGLOSSUM ROSSI LINDL. Var. PAUWELSIAE L. LIND.
535	DXXXV	LAELIOCATTLEYA  X  WARGNYANA L. LIND.
536	DXXXVI	ACANTHEPHIPPIUM MANTINIANUM L. LIND. Et COGN
537	DXXXVII	SELENIPEDIUM CAUDATUM RCHB. F. var. WALLISI sub-var. VANDERSTRAETENIAE
538	DXXXVIII	AERIDES FIELDINGI HORT. Var. ALBUM L. LIND.
539	DXXXIX	CATTLEYA  X  MATHONIAE L. LIND.  The original has been sold. However a high quality pigmented (Giclée) modern reproduction Fine Art Print is available. Please click here for information.
540	DXL	ODONTOGLOSSUM  X  TROYANOFSKYANUM L. LIND.
541	DXLI	CYPRIPEDIUM  X  MORGANIAE HORT. Var. BURFORDIENSE HORT.  The original has been sold. However a high quality pigmented (Giclée) modern reproduction Fine Art Print is available. Please click here for information.
542	DXLII	ONCIDIUM LURIDUM LINDL.
543	DXLIII	ODONTOGLOSSUM MACULATUM LLAVE
544	DXLIV	CATTLEYA MOSSIAE HOOK. VARIETATES
545	DXLV	ODONTOGLOSSUM HUNNEWELLIANUM RCHB. F. var. GRANDIFLORUM LIND.  The original has been sold. However a high quality pigmented (Giclée) modern reproduction Fine Art Print is available. Please click here for information.
546	DXLVI	CYPRIPEDIUM LAWRENCEANUM RCHB. F. var. VIRIDE L. LIND.
547	DXLVII	VANDA SANDERIANA RCHB. F.
548	DXLVIII	COELOGYNE MASSANGEANA RCHB. F.  The original has been sold. However a high quality pigmented (Giclée) modern reproduction Fine Art Print is available. Please click here for information.
549	DIXL	CYPRIPEDIUM  X  MASSAIANUM WEATHERS
550-551	DL-DLI	CATTLEYA LABIATA LDL. VARIETATES
552	DLII	ODONTOGLOSSUM CRISPUM LDL. Var. SPECTABILE LIND.
553	DLIII	ONCIDIUM PHALAENOPSIS LIND. Et RCHB. F. var. EXCELLENS L. LIND.
554	DLIV	CATTLEYA  X  LE CZAR L. LIND.  The original has been sold. However a high quality pigmented (Giclée) modern reproduction Fine Art Print is available. Please click here for information.
555	DLV	CATASETUM  X SPLENDENS COGN. Var. RUBIGINOSUM L. LIND.
556	DLVI	CATTLEYA TRIANAE LIND. Var. EXORNATA LIND.  The original has been sold. However a high quality pigmented (Giclée) modern reproduction Fine Art Print is available. Please click here for information.
557	DLVII	MASDEVALLIA  X  HENRIETTAE KRANZL.
558	DLVIII	CATTLEYA MAXIMA LDL. Var. VIRGINALIS L. LIND.
559	DLIX	CYPRIPEDIUM VICTORIAE MARIAE HORT.
560	DLX	CATTLEYA LABIATA LINDL. Var. SUPERBA L. LIND.
561	DLXI	PHAIUS  X  MARTHAE HORT.
562	DLXII	COCHLIODA MINIATA L. LIND.  The original has been sold. However a high quality pigmented (Giclée) modern reproduction Fine Art Print is available. Please click here for information.
563	DLXIII	CYPRIPEDIUM INSIGNE WALL. VARIETATES NOVAE
564	DLXIV	CATTLEYA TRIANAE LIND. Var. DELICIOSA L. LIND.
565	DLXV	ODONTOGLOSSUM CRISPUM LINDL. Var. KEGELJANI L. LIND.
566	DLXVI	ODONTOGLOSSUM CRISPUM LINDL. Var. AMI CHARLES L. LIND.  The original has been sold. However a high quality pigmented (Giclée) modern reproduction Fine Art Print is available. Please click here for information.
567	DLXVII	ODONTOGLOSSUM CRISPUM LINDL. Var. LINDENI HORT.
568	DLXVIII	ODONTOGLOSSUM CRISPUM LIDNL. Var. LUCIANI HORT.The original has been sold. However a high quality pigmented (Giclée) modern reproduction Fine Art Print is available. Please click here for information.
569	DLXIX	ODONTOGLOSSUM  X  CIRRHO-HALLI L. LIND.
570	DLXX	CATTLEYA TRIANAE LIND. Var. EMINENS L. LIND.
571	DLXXI	CYPRIPEDIUM  X  PAULI HORT.
572	DLXXII	CYMBIDIUM LOWIANUM RCHB. F. var. FLAVEOLUM LIND
573	DLXXIII	SCHOMBURGKIA TIBICINIS BATEM.
574	DLXXIV	DENDROBIUM SUAVISSIMUM RCHB. F.
575	DLXXV	CYPRIPEDIUM LAWRENCEANUM RCHB. F. var. TRIEUANUM L. LIND.  The original has been sold. However a high quality pigmented (Giclée) modern reproduction Fine Art Print is available. Please click here for information.
576	DLXXVI	MILTONIA VEXILLARIA BENTH. Var. VITTATA L. LIND.