The Conard-Pyle Company of West Grove, Pennsylvania was a large horticultural enterprise that specialized in the cultivation and hybridization of roses. It was founded in 1897, and established a large magazine-based advertizing campaign and mail order business. According to a Company history, Conard-Pyle can take credit for several "firsts" in commercial horticulture in the United States, particularly in the development of new varieties of roses. The Company is best known for its famed Star Roses, most notably the world-famous Peace Rose. The Peace Rose was "provided to delegates from around the world as they met in San Francisco on April 25, 1945, to form the United Nations" (Thomas p.1). The Conard-Pyle Company records contain material relating to the business activities of an influential and successful nursery company, created over a period of just over one hundred years. The papers chronicle Conard-Pyle's evolution from a small-scale retail business to an influential wholesaler, as well as the financial, legal, and marketing concerns of a major nursery company. The collection provides a unique look at the activities of a large-scale nursery company, providing insight into the processes of plant breeding, patenting, marketing and sales. In addition, the collection serves as a window to the nursery industry as a whole, due to significant correspondence with other nurseries and material relating to professional organizations and societies within the nursery community.
