Conservatories
Brief history of conservatories
Conservatories originated in the 16th century when wealthy landowners sought to cultivate citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges (hence the term Orangery) that began to appear on their dinner tables brought by traders from warmer regions of the Mediterranean.
Use of these rooms expanded socially and practically, being used to entertain and to host a wider variety of plants. The term greenhouse came to describe the rooms and conservatories for tender plants. In the 18th century a Dutch scientist pioneered the use of sloping glass to bring in more light for the plants than the tall glass side walls of orangeries.
The 19th century was the golden age of conservatory building, primarily in England. English conservatories were the product of the English love of gardening and new technology in glass and heating technology. Many of the magnificent public conservatories, built of iron and glass, are the result of this era.