The historic horticultural catalog collection of the L. H. Bailey Hortorium presents a treasure trove of information for historians of agriculture, art and popular culture. It also offers valuable clues for plant scientists focused on securing germplasm diversity for healthy crop production. A reunion talk given at Mann Library in June 2015 takes up the question of preservation for both history and sustainability. Dr. James Giovannoni (Boyce Thompson Institute / USDA) spotlights the case of the tomato, the history of its domestication, the preservation of heirloom varieties and current efforts to reclaim lost diversity for continued crop improvement. Co-speaker Marty Schlabach (Mann Library) tells the story of the Bailey catalog collection and the Library’s collaboration with the online Biodiversity Heritage Library to preserve and make this renowned resource accessible to the world.
Cosponsored by Mann Library and the Cornell School of Integrative Plant Science, this event was presented in conjunction with Mann Library’s exhibit, “In Vibrant Color: Historic Seed & Nursery Catalogs from the Ethel Z. Bailey Collection,” which was displayed at Mann Library June - August 2015.
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