Title: Flora illustrata : great works from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York Botanical Garden /
Authors: Tongiorgi Tomasi, Lucia,; O’Malley, Therese,; Laird, Mark,; Major, Judith K.,; Fraser, Susan M.,; Sellers, Vanessa Bezemer,; Fraser, Susan M.,; Sellers, Vanessa Bezemer,; New York Botanical Garden.
Year: 2014
Subjects: LuEsther T. Mertz Library.; LuEsther T. Mertz Library Bibliography.; LuEsther T. Mertz Library History.; LuEsther T. Mertz Library Catalogs.; Rare Books history; Library Collection Development history; Libraries history; Botany history; Books, Illustrated history; Book collecting New York (State) New York.; Botany Bibliography; Horticulture Bibliography; Botanical illustration Bibliography.; Illustrated books Bibliography.; Botany Bibliography Catalogs; Horticulture Bibliography Catalogs.; Botanical illustration Bibliography Catalogs.; Illustrated books Bibliography Catalogs.; Rare books Bibliography Catalogs; Botanical libraries New York (State) New York.; New York City; New York (State); New York
Abstract: "The renowned LuEsther T. Mertz Library of The New York Botanical Garden counts among its holdings many of the most beautiful and pioneering botanical and horticultural works ever created. More than eight centuries of knowledge, from the twelfth century to the present, are represented in the library’s collection of over one million items. In this sumptuously illustrated volume, international experts introduce us to some of the library’s most fascinating works—exceedingly rare books, stunning botanical artworks, handwritten manuscripts, Renaissance herbals, nursery catalogs, explorers’ notebooks, and more. The contributors hold these treasures up for close inspection and offer surprising insights into their histories and importance. The diverse materials showcased in the volume reflect the creative efforts of eminent explorers, scientists, artists, publishers, and print makers. From the rare, illuminated pages of Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis historia (1483), to the earliest book ever published on American insects (1797), to lovely etchings of the water gardens at Villa Pratolino in Florence (1600s), the Mertz Library holdings will inspire in readers a new appreciation for the extraordinary history of botany and its far-reaching connections to the worlds of science, books, art, and culture."--
Contents: Noble science : building the library collection / Susan M. Fraser -- European medieval and Renaissance herbals / Lucia Tongiorgi Tomasi -- "Plants in their perfection" : the botanical garden and the illustrated book / Therese O'Malley -- Pleasure gardens in print : recreation and education in the landscape, 1550-1850 / Vanessa Bezemer Sellers -- Linnaeus and the foundation of modern botany / Gina Douglas -- New World explorations : Brazil / H. Walter Lack -- Creating a North American flora / Elizabeth S. Eustis with David Andrews -- Early American horticultural traditions : gardening with plants from the New World / Mark Laird -- Toward an American landscape theory / Judith K. Major -- The horticultural enterprise : markets, mail, and media in nineteenth-century America / Elizabeth S. Eustis -- "An American Kew" / Elizabeth Barlow Rogers.