Bower Collection
Some 150 works on botany. These books originally formed the University's Herbarium Library, and were formerly housed in the Bower Building. They were transferred to Special Collections in 2001.
The books date from the 17th-century onwards, but those published in the 19th-century predominate. Amongst the authors represented are famous names such as John Ray and Linnaeus, and a particular highlight is the substantial number of illustrated volumes containing work by renowned botanical artists such as James Sowerby. Although there are a number of continental imprints, the emphasis of the collection lies with British plants (with a slight bias towards Scotland).
How to find material from the Bower Collection
- For a list of books from this collection, see Sp Coll Bower or use the rare books search to locate items
See also:
- Famous natural history books (including one item on mushrooms illustrated by James Sowerby from this collection) are featured in our Birds, Bees and Blooms virtual exhibition
