Tulip societies - information for archive

[FrazerHenderson]

Information required to assist in the compilation of an archive on English Tulips across the Globe and former tulip societies in the UK and Ireland

As many will be aware the Wakefield & North of England Tulip Society (WNETS) is the oldest extant tulip society in the world. It was established in 1836! The society is currently involved in two major projects: the preparation of a new book to replace the current Florists’ Tulips into the 21st Century, and the archiving of material about English tulips and tulip societies of old. There used to be many such societies right across the UK but sadly only the WNETS now survives.

The archiving of material seems a great enterprise so that a comprehensive record can be kept for posterity of our horticultural (and social) heritage. The archive is to be maintained at York University.

If anyone has any publications or references to material about English tulips and tulip societies of old I’d be happy for them to email me with details (date of publication, title, page references etc) or conversely post comments here. I’ll then ensure that details are passed on. Any recent mentions in articles etc. of English tulips would be welcome – I know that there are growers of English tulips in Armenia, Sweden, Canada and US.

The link below provides more detail on English tulips and the WNETS
 http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5434.0



Thanks

[arillady]

Frazer,
Some of the old newspapers may have useful information too.
Descriptions may not be available but lists of the current varieties and who may have been growing and showing them can be very informative.
One day I hope to get back to Dublin to visit the Glasnevin Botanic Garden library as they have some really good old catalogues etc on old roses. The library staff was exceedingly kind in photocopying some of them for me and posting them on. Some copies are only of a few pages but one day I would like to see the whole catalogues.
Glasnevin has a list of their catalogues on line. It has been a few years so I cannot give you the link.

[Paul T]

Here's the link to the Glasnevin Botanic Gardens.....  http://www.botanicgardens.ie/

Just in case that is any help. 

[Gerry Webster]

Frazer -
 
You probably know this already:

Ruth Duthie, Florists’ Flowers & Societies (pp66-72), Shire Garden History, 1988.

The following is  only distantly related to the topic but very interesting:

Anne Secord, ‘Artisan Botany’ in Cultures of Natural History,  N. Jardine, J.A.Secord & E.C.Spary  (eds.), Cambridge  U.P., 1996 

[David Nicholson]

Ruth Duthie, Florists’ Flowers & Societies (pp66-72), Shire Garden History, 1988..........

An excellent book. Now long out of print but obtainable from the Abe Books Web Site very cheaply (under £1)

I'm sure there would be lots of Tulip information in the pages of "The Gardener's Chronicle" which started publishing in 1841-don't know when it ended but must have been a fair while ago. What a wonderful resource that would be if it was digitised.