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Botanical Lessons
Botanical Lessons explores the 19th-century intersection of nature and design in the Smithsonian collections through models on loan from the National Museum of American History and illustrated books and periodicals from the holdings of Smithsonian Libraries. These thirteen colorful models, made by the leading German firm R. Brendel & Co., were popular teaching aids for students around the world during a period marked by a growing interest in science and education. Encyclopedias and periodicals were important sources of botanical research for an increasing number of scientists, professional gardeners, and enthusiasts. These models and illustrations provided up-close views of the natural world at a time when microscopes and image projection were not widely available. Through these design objects and visual aids, new ways of understanding nature's intricate structures and beauty were possible with the naked eye. |