Nicole Font is the Shelby White & Leon Levy Processing Archivist in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York Botanical Garden.

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On October 27, 1933, botanist and taxonomist Nathaniel Lord Britton sat down for an interview with the radio program “Out of the Past” to discuss the founding and development of the New York Botanical Garden. A native of New Dorp, Staten Island, Britton always had an interest in botany, though he originally pursued a career in geology. While botany was not initially his chosen profession, his passion for plants followed him throughout his career, so much so that he eventually became one of the cofounders of the New York Botanical Garden and served as its first Director in Chief from 1896 to 1929. As Director, Britton led botanical research throughout North America and the West Indies, established the Garden’s public education and horticulture programs, launched several serial publications, and fostered collaborations with scientific organizations across the United States.

In the interview, Britton reflects on his early career, the origins of the Garden, its earliest collections, and many other aspects of NYBG’s first three decades. When asked about the idea to have a botanical garden in New York, Britton credits his wife, bryologist, educator, and Garden cofounder Elizabeth Britton:

Transcript:

Q: Where did you get the idea for establishing [a botanical garden] in New York City?

A: Actually the idea for establishing the New York Botanical Garden did not originate with me; but with my wife.

Q: Oh. Could you tell us more about that?

A: You may know that my wife, Elizabeth, has her own abiding interest in botany, especially in the field of mosses. In 1888, we were in England visiting the Royal Botanical Garden at Kew, and Mrs. Britton turned to me and said, “Why couldn’t we have something like this in New York?” After our return, she then gave a description of Kew at a meeting of the Torrey Botanical Club. At the following meeting a special committee, of which I was appointed a member, was formed to consider what might be done in reference to the establishment of a botanical garden in New York.

While this is a story we frequently share at NYBG, it’s remarkable to hear it directly from someone who was there and played such an active role in making it happen. This recording is part of our oral history collection, which is currently being processed as part of a four-year archival processing project funded by the Leon Levy Foundation. We hope to continue digitizing additional audiovisual materials from our collections and sharing more stories of the Garden through the voices of the people who experienced its history firsthand.

The New York Botanical Garden Institutional Archives project is generously funded by the Leon Levy Foundation.

View the finding aids for the Nathaniel Lord Britton records, the Elizabeth Gertrude Knight Britton records, or browse other archival collections available for research through our archives portal. For access to archival materials, please email us at archives@nybg.org.