THE CONSERVATORY: GARDENS UNDER GLASS | BEHIND THE PAGES

Tanglewood Conservatories founders Alan Stein and Nancy Virts have been inspired by the beauty of glass conservatories since their first trip to Europe. After twenty-five years of research, travel, and photography, their passions for conservatories evolved to create their recent book, The Conservatory: Gardens Under Glass. The book is a celebration of structure, light, and the lives of those who paved the way for these marvellous glass wonders.

“THE BOOK WAS WRITTEN THREE TIMES, EACH FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
IT IS THE CULMINATION OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF WORK”

- A. STEIN

Exploring conservatories around the world quickly became the pair’s favorite way to research for projects at Tanglewood. When they discovered many historic conservatories had deteriorated over time or were taken apart, they set out to document them. Nancy said, “We have to record these buildings. There’s so many that have come and gone and been destroyed - just demolished… its sad to see.”

Studying historic conservatories from Vienna to San Francisco and London to Singapore, the pair was inspired by the artistry of the construction and glasswork. Stein recalls getting the idea to write the book from a close friend, and past client of Tanglewood, who called him the “Dean of American Conservatories,” because of their devotion to studying and preserving these architectural wonders. And thus… began the writing of the publication. 

The pair spent another five years traveling to study the world’s most unique conservatories, orangeries, and greenhouses in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Some locations Virts and Stein visited three or four times to get the right shot and a feel for the conservatory’s essence. 

In one instance while photographing for the book, Alan recalls: “We had taken pictures, we were on our way to Stuttgart, we were three hours away. And I think I was looking at the pictures in the car. And I said, ‘you know, they are okay, but… ‘and so we turned the car around and went back!”

 Stay tuned to this blog for more behind-the-scenes interviews with our authors!