Posted on: April 15, 2018 | Written By: Friends of EG |
The National Endowment for the Humanities doled out $18.6 million in grants for nearly 200 projects across the country, including $202,000 to preserve 19th century horticultural documents.
The Chicago Horticultural Society will conserve, digitize and disseminate rare and fragile horticultural records. The project is described as the “conservation and digitization of 62 rare and unique volumes of “language of flowers” literature published in the United States and Europe during the 19th century, to be made publicly available via the Biodiversity Heritage Library.”
The Chicago Botanic Garden’s library houses almost 4,000 rare books and journals, with some dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. As a press release from Congressman Brad Schneider puts it:
“These volumes offer perspective on five centuries of research in botany, botanical art, horticulture, agriculture, gardening, and landscape design. They present an opportunity to chart the evolution of the modern science of botany, uncovering intricate relationships between science and art, botany and medicine, and humans and nature.hicago Botanic Garden is home to nearly 4,000 rare books, journals, and manuscripts, some dating to the 16th and 17th centuries. These volumes offer perspective on five centuries of research in botany, botanical art, horticulture, agriculture, gardening, and landscape design. They present an opportunity to chart the evolution of the modern science of botany, uncovering intricate relationships between science and art, botany and medicine, and humans and nature.”
The Biodiversity Heritage Library, by the way, is a group of botanical and natural history libraries that has digitized millions of pages, including more than 120,000 titles and 200,000 volumes.
See also, From Slavery To Freedom Garden Tells A Powerful Story.
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