Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - In 1875, not long after John James Audubon published his monumental "The Birds of America," a Mexican painter and naturalist, Rafael Montes de Oca, published an essay on some other birds of the Americas largely excluded from Audubon’s work – hummingbirds of Mexico.

Encouraged by warm reception of his first publication, Montes de Oca began painting a collection of 51 watercolors of nearly every species of Mexican hummingbird and coupled each of these species with equally stunning Mexican orchids.

For reasons lost to the mysteries of time, Montes de Oca was not able to find a sponsor for his second work and passed his manuscripts and art to one of his pupils, Doña Gertrudis García Teruel de Schmidtlein. This work stayed in her family collections and miraculously avoided the fate of being framed and given away piecemeal as visiting friends recommended.

90 years later, in the early 1960's, Doña Gertrudis’ granddaughter began a career as an editor and realized her ability to publish this rare treasure and share it with the world under the name "Hummingbirds and Orchids of Mexico." Only 1,500 numbered copies of this work were published in English and another 1,500 in Spanish.

Out of print for nearly 60 years, this publication is now a rarity itself and copies sell for several hundred US dollars each or more depending on their condition. In celebration of the completion of the Vallarta Botanical Garden’s new Vallarta Conservatory of Mexican Orchids, a copy of this work (No. 0835) and its accompanying frame-ready prints were just generously donated to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens by Lee and Nancy Chapman, who received it as a gift from Jan Lavender over 20 years ago.

These important historical prints have been sent for framing and will be displayed in the new Vallarta Conservatory of Mexican Orchids from July 26, 2014 (the date of the dedication of the new building’s entry stairway in memory of Mexican orchid researcher Roberto González Tamayo) until December 13th, 2014 (the date of the building’s grand opening). In conjunction with the conservatory’s grand opening, a series of new paintings by the renowned artist Esperanza Gama will go on display.

Visitors are welcome to enjoy this unique Mexican artwork displayed at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens from July 26, 2014 to December 13, 2014. Entry to the Garden is only 60 pesos per person and the fascinating plant collections, extensive forest preserve trail system, and engaging activities provide limitless enjoyment for the whole family.