AS ORCHIDS ARE MY MUSE, SOME of my persistent inquiries are "What has made the orchid such an intense object of desire over time? How can our past tell us why we are captivated by the orchid in the present? And why are some orchids more personally compelling than others?" On my artistic and intellectual exploration for answers, I was introduced to the almost hypnotic beauty of cattleyas by Jeff Bradley, an American Orchid Society trustee who resides in Houston, Texas, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the AOS Members Meeting at Longwood Gardens in March 2008. He introduced me to a member of the du Pont family who viewed my painting Illuminated Vandas at Longwood, which was unveiled and exhibited in the conservatory. During that serendipitous meeting, the lively conversation that followed about two specific cattleyas named after two du Pont leading ladies sparked my interest in learning more about Cattleya Alice B. du Pont (Sunrise Chalet x Louise Georgiana) and the women behind this orchid.
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