Florida Vistas Book Club: The Scent of Scandal

Event Description

Title: The Scent of Scandal
Author: Craig Pittman

Join us for our next Florida history book club meeting at the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art where we will be discussing the book, The Scent of Scandal.

After its Peruvian discovery in 2022, Phramipedium kovachii became the rarest and most sought after orchid in the world. Prices soared to $10,000 in the black market. Then one showed up at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, where every year more than 100,000 people visit. They come for the lush landscape of Sarasota Bay and for Selby's vast orchid collection, one of the most magnificent in the world. The collision between Selby's scientists and the smugglers of Phrag, led to search warrants, a grand jury investigation, and criminal charges. It made headlines around the country, cost the gardens hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations, and led to tremendous internal turmoil. 

Light refreshments will be served. RSVP by calling the Museum at 386-255-0285.

Admission: Free for members, $5.00 for future members.