Two Books and a Musical about Tulipmania

Tulipmania by The Great Photographicon

Almost all the gardeners that I know love getting new plants for their garden. But this compulsion to buy more unusual plants is nothing when compared to what happened in Holland in the 1600s.

Tulip mania was what they called what was happening in Holland. The Dutch had recently learned about the beautiful tulip flower which was unlike anything they had ever seen before.The Dutch were not the first to be smitten by the tulip. Long before the tulip was introduced in Europe, in Bavaria in 1559, the flower had enchanted the Persians and bewitched the rulers of the Ottoman Empire. But the Dutch reaction was so much more intense. Flower paintings became extremely popular in the 1630s and 1640s. Such paintings were cheaper than real bouquets – and kept longer!  See here.  They were so enamored with the tulip flower that the Dutch were bidding extraordinarily high levels for the bulbs and speculating on them. Prices of bulbs sold for more than 10 times the annual income of a skilled craftsman.  One person was reputed to have sold his house for 3 bulbs.

And then the market suddenly collapsed.

Two books that are written about Tulipmania are: Tulipmania: Money, Honor, and Knowledge in the Dutch Golden Age by Anne Goldgar  and  Tulipomania: The Story of the World’s Most Coveted Flower & the Extraordinary Passions It Aroused by Mike Dash

And now, there is a musical show about Tulipmania. Coming to the Arden Theatre near Philadelphia is a stage show called TULIPOMANIA: The Musical, with Book, Music, and Lyrics by Michael Ogborn. This world premiere musical will run on the F. Otto Haas Stage from May 24-July 1, 2012.  See here.

You can attend the dress rehearsal.

Discount tickets are advertised here.