Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
Based on the private collections of Rachel McMasters Miller Hunt, the Hunt Institute was initially founded in 1961 as the Rachel McMasters Miller Hunt Botanical Library. It is an international center for bibliographical research and service in botany and horticulture and for studying all aspects of the history of the plant sciences.
By 1971, the Hunt Botanical Library's activities had so diversified that the name was changed to Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. Growth in collections and research projects led to the establishment of four programmatic departments: Archives, Art, Bibliography, and the Library.
Mrs. Hunt's collecting interests brought together aspects of art, history, science, and literature related to plants and gardens. Her private book collection was well known, and her scholarship also led her to collect related artworks, portraits, and manuscripts significant in the history of botany. Although Hunt Institute's mission has grown and evolved since 1961, the nucleus collections and originating vision form the foundation on which the ongoing development of collections and programs is based. Today, various historical and retrospective materials and their modern counterparts are collected. The Institute's collections, holdings, and staff expertise are of value not only for the study of botany and its history but also for investigations of the following topics:
- Art history
- Botanical art and illustration
- History of science
- Horticulture, botanic gardens, and gardening
- Manuscripts
- Medicine
- Printers and publishing
- Rare books
- Scientific education
- Social and cultural commentary
- Travel and scientific expeditions and exploration.
Hunt Institute, a Carnegie Mellon University research division, is located in the Hunt Library building. Roy and Rachel Hunt donated the Hunt Library building to the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University). They intended the building to house the botanical library and the main library for "Carnegie Tech," with the fourth floor left vacant at the time to allow for expansion. The building, completed in June 1961, was designed by the Harrisburg architects Lawrie & Green and the Pittsburgh firm of Deeter & Ritchie. The prominence of aluminum in the building's exterior and interior reflects Mr. Hunt's connection with the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa).
While many visitors to the Institute come to consult the collections or view exhibitions in the gallery, many also come to see what Rachel Hunt, a well-known daughter of Pittsburgh, has created and enjoy this lasting impression of her interests. Suppose the early Library collections resulted from one individual's taste and preference. In that case, the same can be said of the furnishings of the Reading Room, an elegantly appointed library space furnished in the grand style and now used primarily for presentations, such as lectures and book talks, made to visiting groups.
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