@thehuntington — 23x breakout

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You WOODn't

@thehuntington

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Why it worked

The video leverages a visually striking and historically significant collection of wood samples, presented with engaging on-screen text and clear narration. The unique nature of the 'American Woods' collection and its historical context likely resonated with viewers interested in nature, history, and archival materials.

Summary

A curator presents a unique set of books compiled by botanist Romayn Beck Hough, featuring over 1000 wood samples from 350 trees across the United States. These volumes, organized geographically, showcase different cross-sections of wood that can glow when illuminated, some representing extinct or rare tree species.

Structure

1Introduction to a unique set of books
2The books are a compilation of wood samples by botanist Romayn Beck Hough
3Details about the collection: 1000+ samples, 350+ trees, organized geographically
4Explanation of the card format and how they illuminate
5Mention of extinct or rare tree species represented

Call to action

Plan your visit at the link in bio.

On-screen text

You WOODn't believe what I'm about to show you. This is a unique set of books that were compiled by a botanist named Romayn Beck Hough. He carefully cataloged over 1,000 cross-sections of over 350 trees across the United States. He organized this geographically into 14 different volumes that take the form of individual cards. I'll show you one here. It starts with the scientific name of the tree, the common name, and then you see three different cross-sections. Hough designed them so that you could put them behind light and that they would glow and illuminate. Some of these are either already extinct or very rare. And so to some degree, what we're looking at in these samples are elements of trees and parts of the American forest that perhaps no longer exist.

Original caption

These books will have you seeing trees in a new light 🌲🔦😉 Join curator Linde in examining "The American Woods," a 14-volume collection of more than 1000 paper-thin wood samples collected across the United States from 1888 to 1913. A selection of cards from "The American Woods" is on view in "This Land Is ..." at The Huntington. Plan your visit at the link in bio. ⤴