Chicago Botanic Garden

Education — Lenhardt Library

Library Exhibitions

Botanical Illustration

Papaver
The Botanical Magazine
by William Curtis, printed in 1787.
From the Library's rare book
and periodical collection

SCHEDULE



 February 5 – May 9, 2010
The Orchid Album
Library Talk

May 14 – August 15, 2010
Japonica: The Artistry of Japanese Rare Books
Library Talk

August 20 – November 14, 2010
Emily Dickinson's Garden: The Poetry of Flowers
Library Talk

Don't miss an exhibition or free lecture—
download our Rare Book Exhibition bookmarks!

 

The Orchid Album

Exhibition: February 5 – May 9, 2010
Library Talk

The Orchid Album, written by Robert Warner and illustrated by John Nugent Fitch, set the standard for orchid description and illustration in the nineteenth century. Containing more than 500 stunning chromolithographic plates in 11 volumes, this work captures orchid varieties in their wild states before hybridization.

Find orchid books at the The Garden Shop and online.

 

Japonica: The Artistry of Rare Books

Exhibition: May 14 – August 15, 2010
Library Talk

Japan's record of publishing delicate and artistic books can be seen in works with floral themes such as peonies and irises. Often on rice paper and in watercolor, this exhibit showcases the Lenhardt Library's best Japanese pieces.

 

Emily Dickinson's Garden: The Poetry of Flowers

Exhibition: August 20 – November 14, 2010
Library Talk

Emily Dickinson, a famous American poet, was significantly influenced by her horticultural knowledge as seen in her usage of plants and flowers in poetic metaphors. A portion of a traveling exhibit created by New York Botanical Garden's Mertz Library will display illustrated books, manuscripts, and rare nursery catalogs.

 

For reviews of select new books, see Current Books in Gardening and Botany.