Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation

Happy holidays from all of us here at the Hunt Institute. In the spirit of the season we would like to offer a gift and gift ideas along with Institute news and good wishes. We'll begin with our Bulletin, which is our gift to you.

The fall issue of the Bulletin catches us at an evolutionary point. Our publication and marketing manager highlights Robert W. Kiger's 39 years as our director as he retires and T. D. Jacobsen takes the helm. Our librarian describes how a previous owner essentially used our copy of Matthias de L'Obel's Plantarum seu Stirpium Icones (1581) as an adult coloring book. Our curator of art recaps the 15th International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration. We are pleased to announce the recipient of the 2016 Lawrence Memorial Award. We thank our 2016 Associates for their generous support and detail the 2017 program benefits. Our publication and marketing manager announces that our Bulletin is evolving from print to fully digital in 2017.

If you're looking for something uncommon this holiday season, then visit the Institute, where our setting and collections reflect our founder Rachel Hunt's appreciation for the special and the unique. Begin in our gallery where the 15th International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration showcases the talent and skill of 43 artists. As unique gifts go, the catalogue for this exhibition certainly fits the bill. We have available other art exhibition catalogues, such as Gifts of Winter, which celebrates the season with plant images and poetry. Our cards, created from our collection of artworks and book plates by well-known botanical artists and illustrators, make delightful, cost-effective gifts. We hope you'll stop by to see Rachel's unique gift to Carnegie Mellon University and maybe find something a little uncommon for yourself.

If you can't visit the Institute for your holiday shopping, you can purchase a selection of images from our collections on different products, such as cards, mugs, sweatshirts and t-shirts, via our online shop at CafePress. In the spirit of the season we're featuring holly by Redouté and Christmas rose by Ehret.

Whether made at the Institute or at CafePress, all proceeds from purchases benefit the Institute's scholarly programs and mission of preserving the history of botany.

We wish you a happy and safe holiday season. Our offices will be closed to the public during winter break from 19 December 2016 until our normal hours resume on 3 January 2017. We're looking forward to seeing you in the new year.