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John G. Borin papers

 Collection
Identifier: PP-012
John G. Borin
John G. Borin

Scope and Contents

Collection contains scrapbooks filled with family photographs, postcards from varying locations around the world, newspaper and seed catalog clippings. Additionally, there are 2 hand-made botanical "reference" books, personal plant lists, unpublished papers about caring for plants in general, and a map of the World's Fair 1964-65. The collection consists of primarily personal memorabilia covering the span of his employment at the NYBG from 1923-1972.

Dates

  • 1915-1983

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research with permission from Mertz Library staff.

Conditions Governing Use

Requests for permission to publish material from the collection should be submitted in writing to the LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York Botanical Garden.

Biographical / Historical

John G. Borin (1905-1993) was born and raised in Center Moriches, Long Island, New York. He began working for the New York Botanical Garden in 1923 as an apprentice gardener generating plant labels in the propagating conservatory. In 1932, Borin was one of the first students to be admitted to The School of Professional Horticulture at the Garden. He left the NYBG in May of 1943 to enter the United States Navy where he served as a "radar man" in the Pacific, earning a total of 11 Bronze Stars. He returned to the NYBG in 1946 and was promoted to the position of Foreman Gardener in charge of the Propagating Greenhouse Range. Finally, he was appointed to the position of Forman of Gardeners in charge of the Main Conservatory Range in December of 1959, a position he maintained until his retirement in March of 1972.

As evidenced in his collection, Borin spent a considerable amount of time traveling to many countries throughout the world from the South Pacific to Northern Africa and numerous places in between. He was married to Margaret in January of 1932. It is unclear, but she may have passed away sometime after 1957. It also appears that Borin remarried in May of 1961 to his second wife Louise.

Extent

3 Linear Feet (6 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The Collection is organized into five series:

  1. Series 1: Photo Albums/Scrapbooks. 1920-1983. Arranged chronologically.
  2. Series 2: Plant Lists/Notebooks. 1934, 1935, and undated.
  3. Series 3: Botanical Postcards. Circa 1915-1950.
  4. Series 4: New York Botanical Garden. 1937-1967 and undated. Arranged alphabetically by subject.
  5. Series 5: New York World's Fair. 1939, 1964-1965.

Physical Location

Archives, The LuEsther T. Mertz Library, New York Botanical Garden.

Other Finding Aids

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was donated to the New York Botanical Garden in 1992.

Processing Information

Processed December 2004 by Kathleene Konkle under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) PA-50678-04.

Title
John G. Borin papers
Status
Completed
Author
Kathleene Konkle
Date
December 2004
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Sponsor
Processed December 2004 by Kathleene Konkle under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) PA-50678-04.

Repository Details

Part of the The Archives of the New York Botanical Garden Repository

Contact:
New York Botanical Garden, Mertz Library
2900 Southern Boulevard
Bronx NY 10458 United States