Adelin Figueroa is the Administrative Coordinator of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library at the New York Botanical Garden.

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Thanks to a generous grant from Shelby White and the Leon Levy Foundation, the LuEsther T. Mertz Library is now able to process, digitize, and make accessible the institutional records of the New York Botanical Garden. We’re excited to announce collections that are newly processed and available for research use in physical or digital format.

Check out some of our latest processed pieces of Garden history below, and stay tuned for more as we here at the Mertz Library share out new updates quarterly!

Downtown Office records (RG-02-02)

The Downtown Office at 801 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, opened on March 29, 1945, as an extension of the New York Botanical Garden’s Development Office. It was established to increase membership, secure contributions, and raise publicity for the Garden’s Journal. The Downtown Office records consist of materials related to the office’s fundraising activities following World War II, up to 1950. They primarily document the work of Mildred Saffel, manager of the Downtown Office, with some materials related to President Joseph R. Swan and Director William J. Robbins. View the finding aid for this collection here.

Harriet Barnes Pratt records (RG-02-05)

Harriet Barnes Pratt (1879 to 1969), a horticulturist and philanthropist, was born in Rockford, Illinois on November 11, 1879. Her interest in the New York Botanical Garden dates back to 1915, when she first exhibited in a flower show at the Museum Building. She was elected to the Board of Managers in 1939 and served on the Women’s Advisory Council, the Corporation, and the Executive Committee. The Harriet Barnes Pratt records document the period from her election to the Board of Managers at the Garden until her death in 1969. Topics include the post-World War II rebuilding of the Garden, the construction of the Charles B. Harding Laboratory building and the Harriet Barnes Pratt Library Wing, general Garden maintenance, and the Lorillard Snuff Mill restoration. View the finding aid for this collection here.

Henry de la Montagne records (RG-02-06)

Henry de la Montagne (1888 to 1982), born in Garden City, Long Island, began his career at the New York Botanical Garden in 1931 as a Business Manager. Over 54 years, he held several roles, including Assistant Director (1933 to 1958), Secretary of the Board of Managers (1937 to 1963), and Assistant Treasurer (1934 to 1939). From 1958 to 1968, Montagne served as a full-time volunteer administrator, focusing on organizing the directors’ records. The Henry de la Montagne records primarily consist of correspondence related to fundraising, endowments, and the routine internal operations of the Garden. The majority of the collection pertains to Montagne’s work as a volunteer administrator. View the finding aid for this collection here.

Charles Barney Harding records (RG-02-07)

Charles Barney Harding was born on September 11, 1899, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His involvement with the New York Botanical Garden began in 1946 when he was elected to the Board of Managers. He was named Vice President the following year and became President of the Board in 1949, a role he held for 21 years. The Charles Barney Harding records primarily cover his tenure on the Board of Managers, with the bulk of the collection consisting of correspondence and proposals related to the formation of the Mary F. Cary Arboretum, the construction of the Charles B. Harding Laboratory, alterations to the Museum building, and the budgetary challenges faced by cultural institutions in the 1970s. View the finding aid for this collection here.

Plant Records Accession Logs (RG-07-04)

The Plant Records department at the New York Botanical Garden is responsible for accessioning, documenting, describing, and labeling all plants in the Garden’s living collection. From as early as 1896 until 1994, plant accessions were recorded in handwritten notebooks, index cards, and hand-drawn maps. The Plant Records Accession Logs consist of 176 handwritten log books maintained by the Plant Records office. These logs document the living plants added to the collection from the 1890s to the 1980s. View the finding aid for this collection here.

Interested in learning more about all that the Mertz Library contains? Browse other archival collections available for research here. For access to archival materials, please email us at archives@nybg.org.