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Flore des Serres et des Jardins de L'Europe

Louis van Houtte and Charles Lemaire, editors
Ghent, Belgium (1845-1883)

Gorgeous original 140-year-old multi-stone color lithographs with some handcoloring

Fold-out "double" plates measure approximately 9.5 x 13 inches (approx. 24 x 33 cm)
Single plates measure approximately 6.5 x 9.5 inches (approx. 16.5 x 24 cm)

Louis Benoit van Houtte, Belgian horticulturist, was born at Ypres on June 29, 1810, and died at Ghent May 9, 1876. He was associated with the Jardin Botanique de Brussels from 1836 to 1838. In 1839, after an expedition to Brazil, he went to Ghent where he founded the Ecole d'Horticulture and the horticultural journal Flore des serres et des Jardins de l'Europe. Flore des serres was an extensive work with over 2000 colored plates. It contained 23 volumes published from 1845 to 1883, some coming out after his death.

He also established a nursery there with managing partner the nurseryman Adolf Papeleu. Van Houtte's knowledge of botany, his commercial aptitude and language skills made the Establishment Van Houtte very successful. About 1845 he began sending out plant collectors to bring back orchids and other exotic plants from South and Central America. His company propagated many plants for European greenhouses. The first Victoria to be cultivated on the Continent grew there in a specially built greenhouse and the first confirmed water lily hybrid, N. Ortgiesiano-rubra, was created there by Eduard Ortgies. By 1870 Van Houtte owned the most flourishing nursery in Belgium, with an area of 14 hectares and 50 greenhouses. After he died in 1876 his son continued the business.


Louis Benoit van Houtte


Please click on a thumbnail to see most of the plate (the fold-out doubles are too large for a complete scan).
Please note: the enlarged scans tend to look darker than the actual print. The paper is generally much brighter than what appears on the scan.
These are truly gorgeous prints and the scans do not do them justice!

BELOW ARE THE FOLD-OUT "DOUBLE PRINTS" FROM Flore des Serres et des Jardins de L'Europe
WITH ORIGINAL CENTER FOLDS, AS ISSUED.

(click here for "single" plates)

Laelia Superbiens

Laelia Superbiens

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Eucharis Amazonica

Eucharis Amazonica

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Calanthe Vestita

Calanthe Vestita

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Calanthe Vestita

Laelia Purpurata

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Vanda Densiflora

Vanda Densiflora

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Saccolabium Retussum

Saccolabium Retussum

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Vanda Densiflora

Cattleya Guttata Leopoldii

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Grammatophyllum ellisii

Grammatophyllum ellisii

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Grammatophyllum ellisii

Vanda Batemanni

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Oncidium Crispum

Oncidium Crispum

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Odontoglossum Grande

Odontoglossum Grande

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Vanda Cathcarti

Vanda Cathcarti

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Acineta Humboldti

Acineta Humboldti

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Acineta Humboldti

[unidentified Orchid]

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Oncidium Kramerianum

Oncidium Kramerianum

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Oncidium Kramerianum

Tigrida Pavonia

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Oncidium Kramerianum

Cypripedium Stonei

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Trichopilia Crispa Marginata

Trichopilia Crispa Marginata

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Hymenocallis Adnata

Hymenocallis Adnata

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Hymenocallis Adnata

Vanilla Lutescens

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Grammotophyllum speciosum

Grammotophyllum speciosum

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Grammotophyllum speciosum

Gongora Leucochila

(9½ x 13 inches fold-out double)

$179.95

Double-page lithographs
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Single-page lithographs
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Thousands of Antique and Vintage Botanical Prints here