Science, History and Art Come to Life at the Lloyd Library and Museum

By Mary Casey-Sturk

Many of us have heard of the Lloyd Library and Museum but may not have known exactly what this local institution is all about. A recent trip downtown (it is located at 917 Plum Street) helped illuminate its significance both locally and on a world platform. 

This world-renowned research library and museum is devoted to bringing science, history, and art to life. Three brothers, John Uri Lloyd, Nelson Ashley Lloyd, and Curtis Gates Lloyd were pharmacists manufacturing botanical drugs in Cincinnati from the late 19^th century. They established the Library which continues to acquire, preserve, and provide access to historic and current books, journals, and archival materials on various disciplines including botany, pharmacy, natural history, medicine, scientific history, and the visual arts.  

The Lloyd Brothers

The Library and Museum shares, “Founded in the 1870s and presently located in the northwest corner of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, the origins of the Lloyd Library and Museum trace back to the collection of research material acquired by brothers John Uri Lloyd (1849-1936) and Curtis Gates Lloyd (1859-1926). John initially needed books and serials concerning pharmaceutical chemistry to help him run the laboratory at H.M. Merrell and Company. Curtis took a different path, seeking botanical and mycological literature. This combination of interests provided the basis of subject matter represented as the stand-alone institution that is now the Lloyd Library and Museum.” 

Spending their childhoods in Boone County, Kentucky, the brothers, including middle brother Nelson Ashley Lloyd (1851-1925) all eventually became licensed pharmacists. Later, their company was incorporated as Lloyd Brothers, Pharmacists, Inc. in 1855. Each brother applied their own talents to running various aspects of the business.

Per the website, “they opposed the use of bleeding, purging, and unnecessary surgeries, directly challenging what they perceived as barbaric medicine taught and practiced in Europe and colonial North America. They primarily prescribed drugs made from plants indigenous to the United States as they began to form a distinctly American materia medica (the body of collected knowledge about the therapeutic properties of any substance used for healing).” 

As they collected books and continued research, including collecting specimens, it was soon evident that their collections had outgrown their business and home space, respectively, and they purchased a building at 224 West Court Street to house it. As time passed, they outgrew this space and replaced the building with a bigger one. As they continued to travel, research and collect, by the mid-1920s it was a world-class library of about 50,000 volumes with “with strengths in pharmacopeia literature, Eclectic medical books and serials, and early American plant medicine publications.” Curtis Gates Lloyd established a trust for the Library to make sure that collecting and collections care would carry on after his death and in 1970, the current building was constructed. 

The current building holds some 150,000 volumes of monographs and serials, 3,000 linear feet of archival manuscripts, and 3,000 artifacts. The building has over 30,000 square feet of space and the oldest book in their collection dates to 1493! Today’s visitor can look at many books for their own research (or pleasure) and gardeners might enjoy their current selection of periodicals on the subject. 

Thanks to all the brothers, this collection has been and will be available to scholars and the public for years to come.

Visit

Beyond the Library, they are a museum with both permanent and temporary exhibitions. Their permanent exhibition area is The George Rieveschl, Jr. History of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Exhibit. This walks the visitor through methods of producing important medications that have improved (and saved) countless lives. Centering the exhibit is a patented Lloyd Cold Still built in Cincinnati. This section is named for the late local scientist and philanthropist, George Rieveschl, Jr. and culminates with a look at the anti-allergen drug, Benadryl®, he created. 

A recent temporary exhibition focused on fungi. A Foray into Fungi (through November 2023) celebrates the wonders of fungi though a collection of photos, books, specimens, and multimedia. 

On their website, you can explore several digital exhibitions with topics including Cicadas, Mustard, Medicine and Health, Four Seasons in Burnet Woods, and Women and Nature.

They also have an annual Artist in Residence and Curtis Gates Lloyd Fellowship.

While at the Library, peek at the small gift shop which contains a selection of botanical themed cards, t-shirts, and other items with imagery drawn from the collection.

A Library and Museum for Everyone

Indian Hill Living Magazine spoke with Executive Director, Patricia Van Skaik on what to expect if you visit or come to a program. It’s important to note, that you don’t need to be a member, scientist or researcher to utilize the Library. 

IHL: What types of programs do you have in conjunction with exhibits? “We try to mix up the types of programs we do” shares Van Skaik, adding, “The (programs) are fun to begin with, with everything from cooking to research on cancer drugs.”

“We are taking things from a lot of different directions; you’ll almost always see a nature-focused program and a mix of in-person and virtual offerings. We try to do this with every exhibit.”

IHL: Who comes to the Library? Van Skaik responds, “We surveyed our users last year and of course we had scientists, educators, and people in the medicinal field, but we had a larger group define themselves as artists or interested in art” adding, “people who are interested in civic involvement and cultural activities come.” 

“We try to bring out both sides of our collection. Many of our books pre-date photography, so it was common for people to be both scientists and artists. We have people interested in art, health and wellness, or ecology (visit).” Van Skaik continues, “Anybody with an interest and love of plants-for any reason-there is something here for them.”

“We have world-class scientists and historians (visit), but we also have people coming in to peruse the gardening magazines.”

One visit to the Lloyd Library & Museum and its collection and exhibits may grow on you too!

The Lloyd Library & Museum is open Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. as well as the third Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free parking is available in their lot. 

The Lloyd Library and Museum is free and open to the public. http://www.lloydlibrary.org