Thursday, February 4th 2021 – 7:00pm. Zoom opens at 6:30.
Presentation – “Historic Cattleyas their Provenance and History”
Jeff Bradley has been an avid grower of classic Catteyas and to some degree, historic Phalaenopsis, since the age of eight, when his father built his first greenhouse. Jeff had the most unusual childhood, as his godparents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Alfred J. Proebstle of Brazoria, Texas, took him under their wing at a very early age, and introduced him to many of the great orchid legends of the past. Mr. Proebstle was a founder of the Houston Orchid Society and an early trustee of the AOS with one of the premier Cattleya collections in the country.
Jeff traveled across the United States and abroad with the Proebstles absorbing as much of the historical facts on famous orchid plants and their growers. His passion for orchid history has never waned, rather it has intensified through the years and he has remained in close contact with the descendants of the great orchid legands.
Jeff’s Cattleya collection is nothing short of historic. He maintains three greenhouses of over 3000 classic Cattleyas and some Phalaenopsis, all of which have been significant to the historical aspects of orchid growing in both the United States and Europe. He maintains one of the most extensive collection of historical photographs, catalogue and correspondence on the celebrated orchid growers of the past.