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Horticulture Services Division Collection |
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 The
Horticulture Services Division (formerly the Office of Horticulture)
was established in 1972 to manage the Smithsonian's grounds, greenhouses,
and horticultural collections including plants, garden furnishings,
and artifacts. HSD's archives of visual images began as a small
in-house reference collection. Today, it includes thousands of 35mm
slides and photographs, many of which are used in publications,
lectures, and public outreach programs. The images document a wide
range of HSD activities including the construction and maintenance
of Smithsonian gardens, landscapes, and interior plantscapes on
or near The Mall in Washington, DC as well as special horticultural
exhibits HSD designs and creates on a regular basis.
Right: Mary Livingston Ripley Garden. Spring, 1990. Rick Vargas,
photographer. |
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 Since
the Horticulture Services Division is responsible for everything
from tropical palms to Christmas tree displays, its image collection
documents a wide range of plants and places. Each Smithsonian
garden and landscape is photographed regularly to show things
such as seasonal changes, new construction, hanging baskets, container
plantings, special events, public use of the gardens, damage to
plants and trees, and the challenges and rewards of maintaining
several unique gardens in a busy urban area that hosts millions
of visitors each year. These photographs are often used to promote
the understanding of horticulture, illustrate articles, and plan
new exhibitions.
Right: Hanging basket in Mary Livingston Ripley Garden.
August, 1997. Francie Schroeder, photographer. |
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The Horticulture Services Division has collected
hundreds of late nineteenth and early twentieth century images
of horticultural subjects that show gardening equipment, garden
furnishings, plants as decorative elements, and influential landscape
design trends. Many of these views come from antique postcards,
sterograph cards, trade literature, books, seed catalogs, maps,
and other visual resources. They help document the history of
gardening and landscape design in the United States and provide
intriguing glimpses into social history.
All images on this web page are from the Archives of American
Gardens, Horticulture Services Division Collection. |
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