The (Operating) Theatre of Plants: John Parkinson’s Theatrum Botanicum at McMaster University

Dear colleagues,     

You are cordially invited to McMaster’s next online Archives Alive lecture (26 November 2026 at 12 p.m. EST): “The (Operating) Theatre of Plants: John Parkinson’s Theatrum Botanicum at McMaster University.”  

In 2019, McMaster acquired a 1640 first edition of John Parkinson’s Theatrum Botanicum — a pivotal text in the history of botany which sought to catalogue and illustrate the physical appearance, virtues, and uses of every medicinal plant then known to pharmacology. Originally proposed as a supplement to an earlier work on garden flowers, edible plants, and orchard trees, the compiling of this “fourth section” on medicine required a further 11 years. The resulting publication, comprising over 2,500 illustrations, greatly exceeded the work it was intended to amend in both length and complexity. Centuries’ worth of use and engagement had left their marks on McMaster’s copy, reflecting the many lives it had touched between its printing and the present day. These included major damage to its spine and binding — and the inclusion of many plant fragments, which had been pressed between its pages by previous users.  In 2022, McMaster’s conservation lab undertook a major repair and consolidation project (or book surgery, if you like) aimed at ameliorating these issues while preserving as much of the original binding material as possible. Through this process, the plant specimen fragments received particular care and attention. Join us to explore the story of this fascinating book, the technical and interpersonal complexities of its production, and our efforts to respect and center the core materiality of the object even as we attempt to set it up for continued use and enjoyment as a constituent of McMaster's collection. 

Register using this link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/4117931224245/WN_zu6ztR0ORX-j7fYvUHBFtg 

Please feel free to share this invitation with other interested parties.  

Best wishes,    

Gillian Dunks