The Lost Orchid
A Story of Victorian Plunder and Obsession
Book •
In 'The Lost Orchid', Sarah Bilston uncovers the captivating narrative of an international pursuit driven by consumerism, scientific curiosity, and the destructive impact of colonial expansion.
She introduces the audience to collectors and nursery owners who funded expeditions, the working-class plant hunters assigned to locate the flower, South American workers and experts, botanists who employed the latest science to examine orchids, and authors and artists who contributed to the 'lost orchid' near-mythic status.
The narrative explores the social and environmental damage it caused, hurting fragile ecosystems on which people and plants relied.
Bilston follows the human desires and dramas that fueled an international obsession.
She introduces the audience to collectors and nursery owners who funded expeditions, the working-class plant hunters assigned to locate the flower, South American workers and experts, botanists who employed the latest science to examine orchids, and authors and artists who contributed to the 'lost orchid' near-mythic status.
The narrative explores the social and environmental damage it caused, hurting fragile ecosystems on which people and plants relied.
Bilston follows the human desires and dramas that fueled an international obsession.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 0 episodes
Authored by ![undefined]()
Sarah Bilston
Sarah Bilston, "The Lost Orchid: A Story of Victorian Plunder and Obsession" (Harvard UP, 2025)
