John G. Borin Papers (PP)
Archives, The LuEsther T. Mertz Library
The New York Botanical Garden
200th Street and Kazimiroff Boulevard
Bronx, New York 10458-5126
Phone: 718-817-8604
URL: http://library.nybg.org/
The New York Botanical Garden. All rights reserved. © 2005
This finding aid was produced in English.
Finding aid produced using NoteTab Light
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Collectors: |
Borin, John G. (1905-1993). |
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Title: |
John G. Borin Papers (PP) |
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Dates: |
1908-1992 |
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Abstract: |
Scrapbooks, photographs, and personal memoribilia. Also includes botanical postcards, notes, and personal reference items
related to general horticulture.
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Quantity: |
six boxes; 3 linear feet. |
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Call Phrase: |
John G. Borin (PP) |
John G. Borin (1905-1993) was born and raised in Center Moriches, Long Island, New York. He began working for the New York
Botanical Garden in 1923 as an apprentice gardener generating plant labels in the propagating conservatory. In 1932, Borin
was one of the first students to be admitted to The School of Professional Horticulture at the Garden. He left the NYBG in
May of 1943 to enter the United States Navy where he served as a "radar man" in the Pacific, earning a total of 11 Bronze
Stars. He returned to the NYBG in 1946 and was promoted to the position of Foreman Gardener in charge of the Propagating Greenhouse
Range. Finally, he was appointed to the position of Forman of Gardeners in charge of the Main Conservatory Range in December
of 1959, a position he maintained until his retirement in March of 1972.
As evidenced in his collection, Borin spent a considerable amount of time traveling to many countries throughout the world
from the South Pacific to Northern Africa and numerous places in between. He was married to Margaret in January of 1932. It
is unclear, but she may have passed away sometime after 1957. It also appears that Borin remarried in May of 1961 to his second
wife Louise.
Collection contains scrapbooks filled with family photographs, postcards from varying locations around the world, newspaper
and seed catalog clippings. Additionally, there are 2 hand-made botanical "reference" books, personal plant lists, unpublished
papers about caring for plants in general, and a map of the World's Fair 1964-65. The collection consists of primarily personal
memorabilia covering the span of his employment at the NYBG from 1923-1972.
Access restrictions
This collection is open for research with permission from Mertz
Library staff.
Copyright
Requests for permission to publish material from the collection should
be submitted in writing to the LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York
Botanical Garden.
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The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
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Persons |
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Broin, John G. (1905-1993) |
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Subjects |
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Horticulture--United States. |
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Plant--Training--United States. |
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Places |
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Bronx (New York, N.Y.) |
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Organizations |
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New York Botanical Garden. |
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Document Types |
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Postcards, picture. aat. |
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Scrapbooks. aat. |
John G. Borin (PP), Archives, The New York
Botanical Garden.
This collection was donated to the New York Botanical Garden in 1992.
Processed December 2004 by Kathleene Konkle under a grant from the
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) PA-50678-04.
| Series 1. Photo Albums/Scrapbooks.
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Scope and Content:
This series consists largely of personal, family photographs and postcards documenting vacation stops around the world. In
three books (BOX 1, December 20-August 14, 1940; January 1936-May 1943; July 16, 1943-September 1952) there are photographs
of the New York Botanical Garden grounds and employees. The book January 1936-May 1943 (BOX 2) contain photos of the New York
World's Fair, 1940 and 1965.
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| Box |
Title |
Date |
| 1 |
Scrapbook |
December 20, 1920- August 14, 1940 |
| 1 |
Scrapbook |
Jaunary 1936-May 1943 |
| 1 |
Scrapbook |
July 16, 1943-September 1952 |
| 1 |
Scrapbook |
December 25, 1952- August 1962 |
| 2 |
Scrapbook |
April 1963-October 1965 |
| 2 |
Scrapbook |
1965-1967 |
| 2 |
Scrapbook |
May 1967-March 1970 |
| 2 |
Scrapbook |
December 1970-1975 |
| 3 |
Scrapbook |
November 1975-April 1980 |
| 3 |
Scrapbook |
October 1980-December 1983 |
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| Series 2. Plant Lists/Notebooks.
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Scope and Content:
Consists of plant lists, growth instructions, and monthly planting activites. It is unknown if these lists are directly related
to plantings at NYBG. Most items are undated. There are 2 books that appear to be reference works created by Borin. These
items are notebooks that consist of botanical images removed and pasted from journals and seed catalogs. One is arranged alphabetically
while the other appears to have no particular arrangement.
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| Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 4.1 |
Plant List |
1935 |
| 4.2 |
Binder-plant pictures |
undated |
| 4.3 |
Map-A Pictorial Map of Europe |
1934 |
| 4.4 |
Notebook |
undated |
| 4.5 |
Notebook |
undated |
| 4.6 |
Scrapbook |
undated |
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| Series 3. Botanical Postcards.
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Scope and Content:
68 of the cards in this series measure 3.5 inches by 5.5 inches. They are botanical subjects, presumed to be of the "white
border" variety of postcard, produced in the United States between 1915 and 1930. They are color enhanced, black and white
photographic copies. The remaining 13 cards have no postal information on them and appear to be tourist cards of the Swiss
Alps, probably produced after 1930.
* several of the postcards were removed from a scrapbook for preservation purposes.
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| Folder |
Title |
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| 5.1 |
Postcards-Botanical |
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| 5.2 |
Postcards-Botanical |
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| 5.3 |
Postcards-Botanical |
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| 5.4 |
Postcards-Botanical |
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| 5.5 |
Postcards-Botanical |
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| 5.6 |
Postcards-Botanical |
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| 5.7 |
Postcards-Alps |
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| 5.8 |
Postcards-Still Life |
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| Series 4. New York Botanical Garden.
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Scope and Content:
All items in this series relate to Borin's employment with the New York Botanical Garden from 1923-1972. There are copies
of 10 papers that Borin wrote while he was a student in the School of Professional Horticulture around 1937. Most items in
this series are of a personal nature, including newspaper articles, "thank you" letters from students, and employment correspondence.
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| Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 6.1 |
Correspondence-Employment |
undated |
| 6.2 |
Gardener's Annual Forum Photographs |
1937, 1938, 1940 |
| 6.3 |
Journals and Seed Catalogs (3) |
undated |
| 6.4 |
Newspaper Clippings/NYBG newsletter |
1972 |
| 6.5 |
NYBG Keeper Badge |
undated |
| 6.6 |
Planting Schedule |
undated |
| 6.7 |
School of Professional Horticulture-Graded Papers |
undated |
| 6.8 |
Spray Compatibility Chart |
1958 |
| 6.9 |
Student Letters, East Hills School |
1967 |
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| Series 5. New York World's Fair.
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Scope and Content:
This series contains a map of the 1964/1965 World's Fair and the magazine THINK which hightlights the 1939/1940 World's fair,
both held in New York.
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| Folder |
Title |
Date |
| 6.10 |
Map-New York World's Fair |
1964/1965 |
| 6.11 |
Think Magazine, Vol. IX No.12, World's Fair Edition |
1939 |
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