A book by the man considered the father of German botany, which sat undisturbed for years in the Wayne County Historical Society’s documents vault, will soon find a new home. The historical society is offering the volume for sale on eBay.
Neuw Kreuterbuch is the seminal work by physician and botanist Jacobus Theodorus, originally published in 1588. It contains more than 2,300 botanical woodcut illustrations, along with descriptions in several languages. The edition being sold by the historical society was printed in 1664 in Basel, Switzerland.
The book was never formally accessioned and there is no record of how or when it came into the historical society’s possession. Because it has no connection with Wayne County, the board of trustees voted to sell it and use the proceeds to support the historical society’s mission of collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history of Wayne County.
