Mary Jewell Sawyer’s appreciation and affinity for growing flowers and exotic plants was notable and well-known. She was not alone in this interest. The Victorian era, spanning roughly from 1837-1901, saw a surge of excitement in the realm of horticulture and botany. Nineteenth-century Americans viewed nature as an escape from and cure for the ills of modern industrialization. Organized plant exploration was, by this time, established and popular, thanks in part to the Lewis and Clarke expedition and growing trade with China and other areas of the world. This opened American gardens and greenhouses to the world of “exotic” and global vegetation.
The accessibility and interest in plants extended beyond the barriers of class during this time. However, the ability to invest time and money into the intensive care of plants and their environments, or hiring someone to do so, was still a marker of affluence and economic privilege. Vegetative displays beyond a meager houseplant were an evident status symbol for those members of the upper echelon; the Sawyers of Oshkosh were no exception.
Learn more about Mary’s passion for plants through historic photos and some of her floral-inspired belongings in this charming exhibit in the Sawyer Den.
Mary Jewell Sawyer wearing a floral gown, 1898. OPM #FP2001.1.538
