Apron (AOP) (Edmund Albiu)

Edmund Albius was a horticulturist from Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean. Born into slavery around 1829, he made a groundbreaking contribution to the cultivation of vanilla at the young age of 12. Here’s what he did:

Vanilla Pollination Technique: Albius invented a method for pollinating vanilla orchids quickly and effectively. His technique involved using a thin stick or blade of grass and a simple thumb gesture to manually pollinate the flowers.
Impact on Vanilla Industry: This innovation revolutionized the vanilla industry, making it possible to grow vanilla orchids profitably outside of their native habitat in Mexico. Thanks to Albius’s method, Réunion became a major supplier of vanilla, and his technique is still used today.
Despite his significant contribution, Albius never received proper compensation and died in poverty in 1880. His story is a poignant reminder of the often overlooked contributions of individuals in history, particularly those who lived under the constraints of slavery.