Use this box to search within all of Rare Books' collections.
The collection holds many foundational horticultural and botanical works, many of which are illustrated, from the 16th century on. These may be found in the Library catalog.
Nurserymen's Color Plate Book Collection
Flourishing alongside Rochester’s horticultural industry were local artists, printers, and publishers who produced fruit and flower prints (or plates). These remarkable, often original works of botanical art were assembled by nurserymen into unique salesmen’s plate books. Search Library Catalog for: “Nurserymen's Color Plate Book Collection”
Ellwanger and Barry Horticulture library
Around 600 titles, including periodicals, in about 1500 volumes, classed as SB41.5. Together with their Papers, Ellwanger & Barry’s working library provides direct evidence --beyond the fact of two principals’ as immigrants--of the import of European practice to American horticulture. Search Library Catalog for: “SB41.5 “ or “Ellwanger and Barry Horticulture Library”
Trade Catalogs
Trade catalogs of local nurseries and seedsmen, including Briggs & Bros., Chase Bros., Hiram Sibley & Co. , and many more. Search Library Catalog for: “SB115” or for company name
James Vick
By 1862, British-born James Vick was producing seed catalogs bursting with practical knowledge and punctuated by beautiful chromolithographs. The influence of James Vick’s wildly popular catalogs is still evident in today’s gardening catalogs. Search Library Catalog:
