Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Holiday Train Show on November 22 2019, by Matt Newman
It’s almost here—the Holiday Train Show opens tomorrow! Hear from Laura Busse Dolan, President of Applied Imagination, giving you a sneak peek into what’s new this year from their workshop, including Central Park’s iconic landscape and architecture and all-new train track layouts. It’s all presented in an immersive indoor winter wonderland.
Posted in Holiday Train Show on January 2 2019, by Plant Talk
Join Laura Busse Dolan, owner of Applied Imagination, for a quick tour of the New York landmark replicas created by her company of artists that most speak to her, from the familiar silhouette of St. Patrick’s Cathedral to the Electric Tower of Luna Park. They’re all here on view at NYBG through January 21 as the Holiday Train Show continues into the new year—don’t miss it!
[Not a valid template]Posted in Photography on December 23 2015, by Matt Newman
Redesigned last year, look for the glowing new rendition of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory in….well, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. It’s a bit meta, but there’s no doubt that it’s one of the most beautiful and beloved landmarks in the Holiday Train Show!
The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory in the Holiday Train Show — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Holiday Train Show on December 15 2011, by Matt Newman
Off in the woods of Kentucky you might find a fallen branch; nearby, a pine cone and a few scales of bark strewn about by the wind. To most passersby this forest fodder is hardly a treasure worth any attention. But to Paul Busse, the creative genius behind The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show, these bits make up the bricks and mortar of his craft.
In Busse’s workshop, a few twigs lashed together might hold the promise of a doric column, while a handful of dry leaves in just the right arrangement becomes a row of roofing shingles. Why not mold a balcony from a mushroom? Every odd and end has the potential to be a part of a miniature masterpiece, bringing new shapes and textures to a familiar form.
Posted in Holiday Train Show, Video on November 29 2011, by Ann Rafalko
One of the most frequent requests we get at the Garden is, “Can you make a time lapse video of what it takes to set-up the Holiday Train Show?” And finally, we can say, yes, yes we can!
If you would like an even more in-depth look at how the Train Show is put together, you can visit the Artist’s Studio in the Conservatory courtyard, where you will see one model dwelling in various phases of completion, and perhaps glean some inspiration for making your own plant-based model at home. Should you prefer houses of a more edible nature, be sure to stop by Gingerbread Adventures in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden where a miniature neighborhood of fantastical gingerbread houses from a cadre of creative bakers are sure to elicit “ooohs” and “aaahs” from children of all ages.
Posted in Holiday Train Show, Photography on November 15 2011, by Ann Rafalko
The bridges are up, and the trains are here, but you can’t have the Holiday Train Show without a quarter-mile of tracks!
Posted in Holiday Train Show on November 19 2010, by Plant Talk
| Ann Rafalko is Director of Online Content. |
My nephews, like millions of other peoples’ nephews, are obsessed with trains. Obviously, I cannot wait to bring them here to the Garden this year for the Holiday Train Show, and I’m promising them a full-on train adventure.
Posted in Holiday Train Show on November 18 2010, by Plant Talk
Sure, we know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet (somebody better tell Ms. Turkey here to go into hiding for the next few days), but that doesn’t mean we can’t start getting festive here at The New York Botanical Garden!
Friday marks the unofficial start of the season here at the Botanical Gardens when members are invited to take a sneak peek at the amazing Holiday Train Show.
Posted in Photography on November 18 2010, by Plant Talk
The Holiday Train Show is almost here! We had a press day on Tuesday and the Member’s Preview is Friday, but you, our loyal readers, get an exclusive sneak peak. Please help us welcome Eero Saarinen’s iconic Trans World Airlines Terminal (now known as JetBlue Terminal 5) at John F. Kennedy International Airport to the Palm Gallery in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory!
TWA Terminal and Jet (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Exhibitions, Holiday Train Show on December 18 2009, by Plant Talk
Sculptor Takes Us Behind-the-Scenes Building the Botanical Replicas
Sculptor Annette Skinner has worked on the Applied Imagination team since 1992.
Memories of travels, saved in a giant box. The twisty stick, obscure seed pod, shapely leaf quietly await the next decisive moment. If lucky, my boss, Paul Busse, will require my sculptural eye for the intriguing job of creating another scale model of a historic building. These varied natural objects possibly will become a banister, urn, or portico.
Paul, designer of the Holiday Train Show, (see the two of us in the photo at right, courtesy of Judy Glattstein) has a unique concept that requires integration of the natural world with traditional G-scale model railroad layouts. His highly dimensional, textural interpretation is populated by finely detailed versions of American art and architecture. Each year The New York Botanical Garden adds to its collection of New York landmarks, and I have been helping on these starting with Poe Cottage in the early days. This year’s newcomer, Penn Station, took staff at Applied Imagination over 1,1,00 collective hours to complete. Also new this year is the Brooks Brothers flagship store, LED lights on the Yankee Stadium replica, and an audio of lovely organ music by Paul’s son, Brian, accompanying the St. Patrick’s Cathedral replica.
Most of Paul’s designs are drawn in a studio he shares with his wife, Margaret Duke, in northern Kentucky. His drafting table overlooks a stream, reflecting the flow and curves of his blueprint sketches for track assembly.