For millennia, humans have looked to the botanical world for the practical and the profound, finding countless imaginative and innovative uses for plants of all kinds. The artifacts gathered in this exhibition demonstrate the essential role plants have played in human communication, health, clothing, and design across the ages, showing that the phrase “plant-based” can apply to much more than food and diet. Plant-Based explores multiple dimensions of our varied interactions with plants, and celebrates the earth’s florae, their myriad uses, and the inspiration humanity has discovered in their bounty. 

This exhibition features items from across Cornell University Library’s Rare and Manuscript Collections, as well as plant and insect specimens on loan from the L.H. Bailey Hortorium Herbarium and the Cornell Insect Collection. Materials on view include handmade paper from as early as the Ming Dynasty, woodblocks created by artist and Cornellian Elfriede Abbe, herbals from around the world, ancient papyrus fragments, contemporary artists’ books, and much more – illuminating just how far the roots of the plant world reach into our lives.

This exhibition is funded through the generous support of the Stephen E. Milman ’58, MBA ’59, and Evalyn Edwards Milman ’60 Exhibition Fund.