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SF-26-06

Indoor Eden: Victorian Jardinières

New exhibition showcases an array of late nineteenth-century English jardinières, pedestals, and vases, while also exploring botanical topics, from Wardian cases, or the first terrariums, to fern fever and floriography.

SAN FRANCISCO During the Victorian era (1837-1901) houseplants became more accessible to the masses. Plant enthusiasts adored hardy species such as parlor palms (Chamaedorea elegans) and the cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior), given its common name for its ability to tolerate dismal conditions, such as low light and gas-lit homes. Simultaneously, a passion for ferns of all kinds, referred to as "pteridomania," reached a fever pitch. Commonly referred to as jardinières from the French word for "female gardener," ornamental pots and plant stands served as essential components of indoor décor. Jardinières reflected the Victorians' love of elaborate ornamentation-pots might be bedecked with botanical patterns, butterflies, and sea life, as well as historical and Japanese-inspired motifs, with thick, rich glazes. The shapes and sizes of jardinières varied considerably to accommodate different plant types and room arrangements-from large-scale pots on matching pedestals that served as focal points in rooms to smaller vessels for placement on side tables and windowsills. Larger potteries, like Minton in Staffordshire, as well as smaller art pottery studios, such as Bretby and Ault Pottery in Derbyshire, supplied the demand for wares.

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Indoor Eden: Victorian Jardinières is located pre-security in the Dianne Feinstein International Terminal, San Francisco International Airport. This exhibition is on view to all Airport visitors from February 21, 2026-January 16, 2028. There is no charge to view the exhibition.

About SFO Museum

Established in 1980 by the San Francisco Airport Commission, SFO Museum's mission is to delight, engage, and inspire a global audience with programming on a broad range of subjects; to collect, preserve, interpret, and share the history of commercial aviation; and to enrich the public experience at San Francisco International Airport. The Museum has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1999 and retains the distinction of being the only accredited museum in an airport.

SFO Museum operates more than twenty-five sites throughout the Airport terminals, including fourteen galleries that exhibit a rotating schedule of art, history, photography, science, and cultural exhibitions. Among the sites is the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, which houses a permanent collection of more than 160,000 objects related to the history of commercial aviation. To browse current and past exhibitions, research our collection, or for more information, please visit www.sfomuseum.org. Follow us on www.facebook.com/sfomuseum, www.x.com/sfomuseum, or www.instagram.com/sfomuseum.

About San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

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