Henry Frederick Conrad Sander
Encyclopedia
Henry Frederick Conrad Sander (Heinrich Friedrich Conrad Sander; 4 March 1847, Bremen
– 23 December 1920, Bruges
) was a German
-born orchidologist
and nurseryman
who settled in St Albans
, Hertfordshire
, England
and is noted for his monthly publication on orchids, Reichenbachia, named in honour of Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach
of Hamburg
, the great orchidologist.
In 1867 Sander entered the employ of James Carter & Co., a nursery at Forest Hill
, meeting the Czech explorer and plant collector Benedict Roezl. Roezl had been shipping plants to England for some time, but needed a reliable agent there to manage sales, leaving him free to collect and explore. Their business association was to prove a profitable one.
Sander resigned from Carter & Co., and set up business as a seedsman in St Albans. Roezl shipped enormous consignments of orchids and tropical plants, filling a vast warehouse near the seed shop. Sander's marketing of the plants was so successful that Roezl retired in comfort to his native city of Prague
.
Sander, on the other hand, got rid of the seed business and concentrated on orchids. His premises soon proved to be too small to house his enormous collections, and in 1881 he acquired 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of ground in St Albans on which to build a new nursery and home. The greatly enlarged quarters and Sander's business acumen led to a thriving concern, so that up to twenty three collectors were employed to search forests and mountainous areas in Asia and South America for new species. Some sixty greenhouses accommodated the vast stock of the finest orchids to be found. Large conservatories were given over to the production of seed, and new hybrids were constantly evaluated. Sander's of St Albans handled about two million plants in the 1880s and 1890s, becoming the focus of orchid culture in Europe, where crowned heads were familiar visitors. Sander published various addenda to his Book of Hybrids, properly titled Sander's Complete List of Orchid Hybrids (St Albans 1906).
In 1885 Sander envisioned the monumental publication Reichenbachia
, which would depict orchids life-sized, with text in English, French and German. The folio edition measured a gigantic 678 mm x 510 mm (21.5 inches by 16 inches), and was bound in leather. The work appeared in two series of two volumes each. Volume one of series one was published in 1888 and had 108 pages and 48 plates. Volume two of series one appeared in 1890 with 106 pages and 48 plates. Volume one of the second series appeared in 1892 with 52 plates in a 104-page volume. Volume two of the second series, the final volume published, consisted of 114 pages with 55 plates. The volumes were in turn dedicated to Queen Victoria
, the Empress of Germany and Queen of Prussia
, the Empress of Russia, and Queen of the Belgians
.
He commissioned his future son-in-law, Henry Moon
, to do the illustrations for the monthly publication of what was to be called Reichenbachia, a work which would require their collaboration for the next few years. Work started in 1886 and went on until 1890, with turbulent disputes between pragmatic businessman and strong-willed artist. Moon married Sander's only daughter in January 1894, and spent another ten years painting orchids before his untimely death in 1905.
With his commercial success, Sander planned American outlets in the 1880s, establishing a nursery in Summit, New Jersey
and appointing one of his collectors, Forsterman, to manage the branch. The management logistics proved to be extremely complex, so that it was sold to John Lager and Henry Hurrell in 1896. This firm continued to operate until the 1970s, briefly moving from Summit to Lilburn, Georgia
before being dissolved. Sander also started a nursery at St André
in Bruges
in 1894.
Sander is commemorated by the Orchidaceae
genus Sanderella
O.Kuntze. In 1913 he was awarded the Belgian Insignia of Chevalier of the Order of the Crown
.
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
– 23 December 1920, Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born orchidologist
Orchidaceae
The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
and nurseryman
Nursery (horticulture)
A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. They include retail nurseries which sell to the general public, wholesale nurseries which sell only to businesses such as other nurseries and to commercial gardeners, and private nurseries which supply the needs of...
who settled in St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and is noted for his monthly publication on orchids, Reichenbachia, named in honour of Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach
Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach
Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach was an ornithologist, botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century...
of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, the great orchidologist.
In 1867 Sander entered the employ of James Carter & Co., a nursery at Forest Hill
Forest Hill, London
Forest Hill is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It situated between Dulwich and Sydenham. The area has enjoyed extensive investment since plans to extend the East London Line to Forest Hill were unveiled in 2004....
, meeting the Czech explorer and plant collector Benedict Roezl. Roezl had been shipping plants to England for some time, but needed a reliable agent there to manage sales, leaving him free to collect and explore. Their business association was to prove a profitable one.
Sander resigned from Carter & Co., and set up business as a seedsman in St Albans. Roezl shipped enormous consignments of orchids and tropical plants, filling a vast warehouse near the seed shop. Sander's marketing of the plants was so successful that Roezl retired in comfort to his native city of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
Sander, on the other hand, got rid of the seed business and concentrated on orchids. His premises soon proved to be too small to house his enormous collections, and in 1881 he acquired 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of ground in St Albans on which to build a new nursery and home. The greatly enlarged quarters and Sander's business acumen led to a thriving concern, so that up to twenty three collectors were employed to search forests and mountainous areas in Asia and South America for new species. Some sixty greenhouses accommodated the vast stock of the finest orchids to be found. Large conservatories were given over to the production of seed, and new hybrids were constantly evaluated. Sander's of St Albans handled about two million plants in the 1880s and 1890s, becoming the focus of orchid culture in Europe, where crowned heads were familiar visitors. Sander published various addenda to his Book of Hybrids, properly titled Sander's Complete List of Orchid Hybrids (St Albans 1906).
In 1885 Sander envisioned the monumental publication Reichenbachia
Reichenbachia: Orchids Illustrated and Described
Reichenbachia: Orchids Illustrated and Described is a four-volume 19th century text created by German-born orchidologist Frederick Sander which features life-size illustrations and descriptions of nearly two hundred orchids with text in English, French, and German...
, which would depict orchids life-sized, with text in English, French and German. The folio edition measured a gigantic 678 mm x 510 mm (21.5 inches by 16 inches), and was bound in leather. The work appeared in two series of two volumes each. Volume one of series one was published in 1888 and had 108 pages and 48 plates. Volume two of series one appeared in 1890 with 106 pages and 48 plates. Volume one of the second series appeared in 1892 with 52 plates in a 104-page volume. Volume two of the second series, the final volume published, consisted of 114 pages with 55 plates. The volumes were in turn dedicated to Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
, the Empress of Germany and Queen of Prussia
Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein
Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein was the last German Empress and Queen of Prussia. Her full German name was Auguste Victoria Friederike Luise Feodora Jenny von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg.She was the eldest daughter of Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess...
, the Empress of Russia, and Queen of the Belgians
Marie Henriette of Austria
Marie Henriette of Austria was the queen consort of King Leopold II of Belgium.-Family:...
.
He commissioned his future son-in-law, Henry Moon
Henry Moon
Henry George Moon , was an English landscape and botanical painter, noted for his orchid paintings illustrating Reichenbachia, a monthly publication named in honour of Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach of Hamburg, the great orchidologist.He was the eldest son of Henry Moon, parliamentary agent at...
, to do the illustrations for the monthly publication of what was to be called Reichenbachia, a work which would require their collaboration for the next few years. Work started in 1886 and went on until 1890, with turbulent disputes between pragmatic businessman and strong-willed artist. Moon married Sander's only daughter in January 1894, and spent another ten years painting orchids before his untimely death in 1905.
With his commercial success, Sander planned American outlets in the 1880s, establishing a nursery in Summit, New Jersey
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
and appointing one of his collectors, Forsterman, to manage the branch. The management logistics proved to be extremely complex, so that it was sold to John Lager and Henry Hurrell in 1896. This firm continued to operate until the 1970s, briefly moving from Summit to Lilburn, Georgia
Lilburn, Georgia
As of 2010 Lilburn had a population of 11,596. The median age was 36.3. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 52.7% white , 16.4% black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 4.8% Asian Indian, 10.4% other Asian, 12.3% from some other race and 2.8% from two or more races...
before being dissolved. Sander also started a nursery at St André
Sint-Andries
Sint-Andries is suburb of Bruges in the province of West Flanders in Belgium.The Jan Breydel Stadium, where the football teams Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge play, is situated in Sint-Andries....
in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
in 1894.
Sander is commemorated by the Orchidaceae
Orchidaceae
The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
genus Sanderella
Sanderella
Sanderella is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae.- References :*Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.A. & Rasmussen, F. eds. . Genera Orchidacearum 1. Oxford Univ. Press....
O.Kuntze. In 1913 he was awarded the Belgian Insignia of Chevalier of the Order of the Crown
Order of the Crown (Belgium)
The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
.