From the Archives By: Hannah Barton, Archivist
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden site in Mission Canyon, looking south to entrance boulders and the Blaksley Boulder, circa 1926 (Photographer unknown)
Don Meadows, “Santa Barbara Island,” paint and ink on wood, 1939
H
ello, Ironwood readers. I’m Hannah Barton, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s new archivist, and I’m so happy to be here!
You might be asking yourself, “What is an archivist and why does the Garden need one?” Simply put, an archivist manages and preserves records of historical and enduring value. For the Garden, that means overseeing all collections of nonliving materials that contribute to the history and cultural significance of the institution. Our archives include such materials as maps, photographs, artwork, architectural drawings, oral histories, and even historical scientific tools. The Blaksley Library collection also now falls under the direction of the archivist. Beyond being the manager of these collections, as the archivist, I also help to tell the story of the Garden and preserve its history. It is with this task in mind that I aim to make our collections as accessible as possible, both to our staff and to the general public. But more about that later. I came to the Garden in a roundabout way, as most of my professional experience lies within the greater art world. I received my masters’ degrees in library and information science and history of art and design from Pratt Institute in New York, and during that time I worked in several art libraries such as The 24
Ironwood
Historic Blaksley Library cabinet and the Geology Exhibit on display 1930s (Photographer unknown)
Frick Collection, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. After graduating, I began work for a digital art book publisher, where I edited two comprehensive and definitive digital publications. Most recently, I held the position of archivist and senior permanent collection researcher at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, where I supported the curatorial department with important research and was the steward of the museum’s 80-year history. I still have a deep appreciation for art and the lasting impacts it can have, but I found myself drawn to the opportunity to support a greater and more urgent cause, and the Garden’s mission to conserve native plants and habitats for the betterment of the planet is one that I can wholeheartedly get behind. Even though I’m not working in a lab or outside conducting important fieldwork or digging my hands into the earth (though sometimes my hands do get very dirty — archival work is not always what one might expect), I do feel as though I’m making a difference at the Garden by being able to support the important research and public-facing education that is taking place here. Also, I was born and raised in Santa Barbara, so I feel a close connection to this community and want to do my best to contribute to its well-being in any way that I can. Having grown up visiting the Garden (and even participating as a Summer Camp counselor in high school), I know how important it is to preserve the Garden’s institutional history while also moving the mission forward.
