Special Collections includes materials that document the history of world agriculture, the contributions of key agricultural figures from sixteenth century herbalists to twentieth century scientists, and the development of the United States Department of Agriculture. A selection of images and exhibits from our varied collections is provided below.

   Early Developments in the American Dairy Industry  

   An Illustrated Expedition of North America: Bodmer and Maximillian in the American West

   Popcorn: Ingrained in America's Agricultural History

   USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

   Frank N. Meyer: Plant Exploration Collection

   Abraham Lincoln and Agriculture

   
        Blackwell, Elizabeth. A Curious Herbal

        Curtis, William. The Botanical Magazine

        Gallesio, Giorgio. Pomona Italiana

        Henderson, Peter. Pomona: Being a Selection of Choice Fruit

        Hooker, William. Pomona Londinensis

        Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalogs

   
        An American Champion: Maryland's Wye Oak

        Catesby, Mark. The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands

        Forest Service Historical Photographs

        Historic Cereals Research Photograph Gallery

        Thomas Jefferson Correspondence

        Rare Book Spines

Sources for the images shown at the top of the page (clockwise from upper left):

• Vignette XXII, Mahsette-Kuiuab, Chief of the Cree-Indians, in: Wied-Neuwied, Maximilian Alexander Philip. Reise in das innere Nord-America in den jahren 1832 bis 1834. Coblenz, 1839-1841. Rare Book Collection.
• Painted Finch, in: Catesby, Mark. The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands . London: printed at the expense of the author, 1731-1743. Rare Book Collection.
• Jefferson's letter to Colonel Skipwith (1810), in: MS. 89, Thomas Jefferson Papers.
• Cypripedium parviflorum (orchid), in: Curtis's Botanical Magazine. Vol. 23-24, Plate. 911. London: Stephen Couchman, 1806. Rare Book Collection.
• Miss C.H. Lippincott Flower Seeds (1907), in: MS. 120, The Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection.
• Summer Beauty Pear (1893), Deborah Passmore (artist), in: MS. 184, USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection.

The National Agricultural Library Special Collections 10301 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville, MD 20705 301-504-5876 speccoll@nal.usda.gov December 11, 2002