October 3 - January 4
John and Peggy Maximus Gallery

Join us as we explore the world of Carl Linnaeus, the 18th century naturalist who is regarded as the father of scientific taxonomy. Linnaeus lived at a time when the study of the natural world was encumbered by an inconsistent and unwieldy naming process, with most species having descriptive Latin names of ten or more words each. Linnaeus revolutionized this process by creating a two-name or binomial classification scheme that has been used by taxonomists ever since. His system simplified and facilitated identification and made the language of science universal.

Linnaeus did not illustrate his own works. Instead, he cited the engraved images published by others. A sampling of these rare works from the 17th and 18th centuries as well as a special display of specimens shows the diversity of the world known to him in 1758.