The New York Botanical Garden was established with a mission to seek
knowledge about plant life, conduct research, offer courses of
instruction, and provide a place for the public to learn about botany.
This historical study of the New York Botanical Garden provides the
first and only comprehensive social history of this vital institution.
The monograph is intended for the general public as well as the
scientific community. In order to familiarize the reader with the nature
and historical development of the modern botanical garden, the narration
begins long before 1891, and goes back as far as the Ancient Egyptians
and Romans. In addition, the work discusses the interesting local
history and people who inhabited the area where the great institution
was established. The story continues with the foundations of The Garden,
and its early history and developments through the Depression. The book
also considers the growing importance of environmental issues and the
growth of the conservatory, library, and herbarium. The history
concludes with the major events of the late 1970s, with an overview of
the garden up to the year 2000. Every institution or organization has a
mission. The New York Botanical Garden provides a public service to
improve human life, and has assumed a certain charisma that permeates
its very foundation. Reading the institution's story illuminates this
charisma, which has characterized the Garden throughout its history.
