Botanical Treasures: Objects from the Herbarium and Library of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh - Softcover

This wonderful book was published to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Herbarium and Library Building at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) in 1964. It is definitely a picture book, with beautiful photographs of specimens, botanical illustrations, and other objects related to the institution's history. The accompanying text, written by 20 members of the staff and researchers who have used the collections, is well done, providing engaging information about the history of the RBGE. The introduction includes the comment: "Without a doubt the hardest part of putting this book together has been deciding what to leave out." With such a rich collection, there were many gems to choose from. While the entries are brief, they give a surprising amount of interesting information. This book is beautifully produced for the price, with photographs on every page. --Archives of Natural History, 31(1), 2016

This wonderfully illustrated book is a snapshot of the extensive national collection of botanical books, herbarium specimens and archival material held at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). With more than three million preserved plant specimens and 70,000 books to choose from, the selection is just a sample of RBGE's treasures, offering a glimpse into this unique collection. From objects that tell tales of daring plant collectors, to specimens of plants now extinct, historical maps and diaries, a letter from Charles Darwin and innovative nature printing techniques, this book showcases an international collection that reflects the rich scientific history of Scotland and is still used every day in RBGE's work to explore, explain and conserve the world of plants. This book won runner up in the Best New Publications category of the Association for Cultural Enterprises Awards 2015.