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The Story Behind “Pipes, Panes and Plants”
Have you noticed our new “Pipes, Panes, Plants” t-shirt design in The Shop at Phipps and wondered what it was referring to? The name Pipes, Panes and Plants originated back in the 1970s to help maintain the beauty of Phipps!
Despite having over twenty months of restoration and repairs just forty years prior, by the1970s the Conservatory was suffering from severe leaks and metal corrosion. Repairing and maintaining the beauty of the Conservatory was both difficult and expensive. By 1975, Elizabeth Childs organized a group of private citizens into an ad-hoc committee, known as a Restoration Committee, to take on the task of raising funds necessary to make large-scale improvements at Phipps. This group had the intentions of restoring display rooms and greenhouses, improving the front entrance and adding a new educational facility. The campaign created by this group would go on to be called “Pipes, Panes and Plants”!
In 1977, the Restoration Committee hosted an event at the Conservatory with the theme “Pipes, Panes and Plants” to gather Pittsburgh corporate and foundation representatives for tours and cocktails. This event aimed to give representatives a more in-depth look at the deterioration and construction of the original glasshouse, while continuing to push for the required funding. It was at this event that we believe an artist was commissioned to create the original design pictured below!
With the committee raising more than $500,000 from private donations and local foundations, along with $2.2 million in city and federal contributions, Phipps was able to undertake a major makeover! This campaign improved the quality of the glasshouse for years to come, providing a steppingstone for our modern renovations and decarbonization. The beautiful design that resulted from “Pipes, Panes and Plants” went on to become a staple in Phipps history! Be sure to check out this design on our new shirts in The Shop at Phipps during your next visit.
Photos © Paul g. Wiegman
