Wax fruit conjures up an image of a bowl of wax apples and pears to adorn the dining room table, but at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, wax replicas of dozens of varieties of fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, etc. were created to be used as teaching tools back in the day before computers, and even quality color photography. There are even samples showing the diseases and bug damage that can effect the various food varieties that are part of our local diet. Except for the fact that the cherries above have been in a cardboard box for about 80 years, they look like you could pop them in your mouth for a burst of flavor, and then spit the pit at your kid brother!Today you can just Google "Napoleon Cherries" if you wonder what that variety looks like. Back in the early 1900's you would go to a drawer or box and find the wax sample! These grand old samples are deteriorating - age, poor storage conditions, etc. have waged war on these meticulously hand made pieces. (note the broken leaf) The other day I got to be part of a little group brainstorming how to repair, restore, preserve, and catalog them. What fun it is to go off into a realm you didn't even know existed a week ago!
If you know anything about wax fruit restoration, let me know!
1 comment:
Now I want to know how to MAKE wax fruit...and leaves...and all the rest of it. Can you imagine next year's vegetable garden all made out of wax??? (Lots less weeding that way!)
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