Archives: Events

Have you previously found yourself unlucky in houseplant love? Join us at the Lloyd Library and Museum and let us help you find your perfect match! Choose from an assortment of plants and pots to create the ideal plant companion. Brandie Atkins, owner of Plant Therapy by Brandie, will guide us through potting and caring for houseplants with stories and simple tips. All workshop attendees will take home a 6-inch houseplant in a ceramic pot of their choice. Space is limited, so secure your spot now!

Registration required. $50 for workshop,$40 for members.

Plant Therapy by Brandie is a small business retailer that serves houseplant enthusiasts, from beginners to advanced! Our mission is to share plants and education to encourage friends, family, and beyond. Plant Therapy by Brandie accomplishes this through social media, selling plants at local pop-up market events, and providing workshops in the community. Brandie, the owner, is dedicated to growing an assortment of plants and providing personal attention. She believes that plants remind us of our humanity and the need for self-care. Taking time each day to support the survival of your houseplant pulls you out of the busyness of daily life. It highlights our need for water, sun, and fertilization—not only for our plants, but also for ourselves.

As coal consumption increased in nineteenth-century Britain, so did the need to innovate new forms of gardening that could protect plants from smoke and air pollution. Advances in glasshouse technology, along with the emergence of parlor and window horticulture, subsequently allowed the Victorians to cultivate miniature gardens within their homes. Over time, these spaces became showcases for elaborate collections of ornamental plants, many of which were sourced from Africa, Asia, and other regions tied to British colonialism. This talk will explore the Victorian history of houseplants, highlighting how indoor gardens entwined a growing desire for environmental renewal with the global politics of imperial expansion.

Watch the recording.

Lindsay Wells is an art historian and scholar of nineteenth-century Britain, with a focus on histories of empire, the environment, and plants. She earned her PhD in art history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has held recent postdoctoral fellowships at the Getty Research Institute and UCLA. Her essays on botany, art, and horticulture have appeared in Victorian Studies, Victorian Literature and Culture, and Literature Compass.

From home décor to health, the virtues of houseplants are abundant. Beyond their ability to both enliven and calm our interiors, they act as natural air purifiers by releasing oxygen, absorbing carbon dioxide, and even removing cancer-causing chemicals from the air. But houseplants weren’t always so readily available to the casual cultivator. Previously the domain of the wealthy, houseplants’ popularity surged during the Victorian era when botanists collected tropical species that ended up in the living rooms of fashionable Europeans, creating an exotic plant and fern fever that transcended class and gender barriers. Welcome to My Jungle: In-door Plants will spotlight trends in houseplants from the last two centuries, with particular attention to British fern fever, German cactus curiosity, American midcentury decorating chic, and environmental and wellness movements driving interest today.

Free and open to the public. Light refreshments.

Slip away from the hectic activities of the holidays with a stop at the Lloyd Library & Museum. Experience peace and calm when visiting one of Cincinnati’s premier research libraries, explore Welcome to My Jungle and enjoy hot chocolate and cookies.

The holidays are just around the corner! Stop in for our Holiday preview sale to find unique gifts drawn from our collections. Items range from prints and cards to coffee mugs and pillows. On November 16, shoppers receive a 10% discount, and Lloyd Members get 20% off.

Celebrate the opening of The Lore of the Pawpaw examining the  history, presence, and fascination behind Ohio’s state native fruit. Madeleine Hordinski’s lens takes you from pawpaw groves, to the science of pawpaws, to the largest celebration of pawpaws in the world!  Additionally, Lore examines Ohio’s role in the pawpaw’s rising global profile. Refreshments.

Free and open to the public.

Take a journey with Ohio University professor Rob Brannan as he describes his research pathway from here to Europe on the growth and cultivation of pawpaws trees on both continents. Learn from Brannan about his international connections and their recent updates on different cultivars of Ohio’s state native fruit.  

Registration Required.

 

Rob Brannan is a professor of food and nutrition sciences at Ohio University and leads a food science research program on pawpaw fruit. He teaches a variety of food-based courses including Principles of Food Science and Experimental Foods. Brannan is also the Director of Education for the world’s largest pawpaw festival, the Ohio Pawpaw Festival held every year in Albany.

 

Ron Powell shares his story about how a hobby he shared with his late wife grew into growing and researching pawpaw trees on their Adams County farm. For the past thirty years, Powell has documented 500 pawpaw trees in Ohio, including extensive notes and photography. Though his photo collection is digitally archived, his collection of Kodachrome slides shine on display for The Lore of the Pawpaw.

Registration Required.

Ron Powell holds a PhD in agriculture education from The Ohio State University and is the founder of the North American Pawpaw Growers Association. He has taught at local universities including University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University, University of Kentucky, and Cincinnati State on entomology, plant pathology, and botany. He and his late wife Terry Powell became interested in growing pawpaws while he worked for the State of Ohio. Together, they won more than ten awards at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival including “Largest Pawpaw” and “Best Tasting Pawpaw.”

Join us on our open Saturday to meet the Lloyd Library’s 2024 Artist-in-Residence and photographer behind The Lore of the Pawpaw, Madeleine Hordinski.

Hordinski is a photographer born and based in Cincinnati. She graduated from Ohio University with degrees in photojournalism and anthropology. Following graduation, she interned for The Los Angeles Times. In 2022, she began freelancing full-time in Cincinnati, with work taking her from Poland to Texas. She is a regular contributor to The New York Times, with photos appearing in articles on local luminaries Louis Langrée and Jerald Cooper to much acclaim. Her images and writings have been featured in National Geographic, The Washington Post, the BBC, and more outlets with a growing international audience.