Habenaria lacera- Ragged Fringed Orchid 1931

Edwin Hale Lincoln made this photogravure of the Habenaria lacera, or Ragged Fringed Orchid. Lincoln's choice to depict the orchid, a symbol of beauty and rarity, speaks to the late 19th and early 20th-century cultural fascination with the natural world. Photography at this time was seen as a tool for scientific documentation but also for artistic expression. It’s no accident that botanical illustration found its stride during a period characterized by rapid industrialization and urbanization. These trends created a sense of nostalgia for rural landscapes and a corresponding desire to preserve and classify the natural world. Institutions like museums and universities played a key role in promoting scientific research and education. Lincoln’s photogravure may have been motivated by a desire to contribute to this growing field of knowledge while showcasing the aesthetic possibilities of photography. To understand this artwork fully, we might look into the history of botanical illustration, the development of photographic technologies, and the social values attached to nature in America at the turn of the century.