Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Judith Taylor Papers
- Dates:
- 1845-2019
- Creators:
- Taylor, Judith M. and Taylor, Judith M.
- Abstract:
- Contains materials related to Dr. Judith Mundlak Taylor's research and writing as a horticulture historian and published author. Dr. Taylor was a neurologist for over 30 years and after her retirement from medicine became an expert in horticulture and has written eight books. Topics include California gardens, the history of olive cultivation in California, plant breeders, floriculture, plant introductions, and how women's social roles were reflected in the world of gardens.
- Extent:
- 4 linear feet
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Judith Taylor Papers, D-748, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, University of California, Davis.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Includes materials pertaining to Dr. Taylor's research for her books on different topics within horticulture. Files include USDA Census of Agriculture records, bulb catalogs for plant types from around the world, newsletters, articles, and research about plant breeders from different eras and countries.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Judith Mundlak Taylor, MD, was a neurologist for over 30 years and then medical director of a large HMO before her retirement at age 60. She had the distinction of Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. After her retirement, Dr. Taylor forged a new path as a horticulture expert and historian who authored eight books on some of horticulture's complex niches. Taylor's research areas include flower breeders and women's historical achievements in gardening and horticulture. The latter was proposed to Taylor by a colleague of groundbreaking Stanford feminist scholar Susan Groag Bell. Bell's colleague asked Taylor to expand on Bell's original research notes pertaining to women and gardens.
Born in London, Dr. Taylor earned a scholarship to Oxford University. She traveled to the U.S. in 1959 for an internship and stayed in the country to build her career while also starting a family. She married Irvin S. Taylor, MD in 1961. In 1994, Dr. Taylor and her husband moved from New York state to Marin County, California, where the Mediterranean climate inspired Dr. Taylor to buy two dozen olive trees and tend to the neglected garden at their Tiburon home. She soon noticed a dearth of books about olive trees and set to write one herself.
After extensive research, travel, and interviews with people in the olive industry, Dr. Taylor's first book The Olive in California: History of an Immigrant Tree was published in 2000. Dr. Taylor's other books include Tangible Memories: Californians and their Gardens, 1800-1950 (2003); The Global Migrations of Ornamental Plants: How the World Got into Your Garden (2009), Visions of Loveliness: Great Flower Breeders of the Past (2014); An Abundance of Flowers: More Great Flower Breeders of the Past (2018); A Five Year Plan for Geraniums: Growing Flowers Commercially in East Germany 1946-1989 (2019); Women and Gardens: Obstacles and Opportunities for Women Gardeners throughout History (2021), and Women and Gardens: A History from the Victorian Era to Today (2024).
Dr. Taylor's books have been reviewed by publications and journals such as Washington Gardener Magazine, Historic Garden Review, Western Historical Quarterly and organizations such as the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries, Inc. (CBHL). She also wrote the introduction to California's Olive Pioneers: Early Essays on Olives & Olive Oil, a Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science publication (2009).
Dr. Taylor lives in San Francisco. Her husband Dr. Irvin Taylor passed away in 2016.
Sources
Horthistoria. 2025. "Books by Judith M. Taylor." Accessed January 9, 2025. https://www.horthistoria.com/.
Retire Early Lifestyle. n.d. "Interview of Judith M. Taylor, M.D." Accessed January 9, 2025. https://retireearlylifestyle.com/aaa/interview_judith.htm.
Sinai Memorial Chapel Chevra Kadisha. n.d. "Funeral for Irvin S. Taylor." Accessed January 9, 2025. https://www.sinaichapel.org/obituarydetails.aspx?did=bf5534b1-4042-47c9-8acf-c23b6e430ca1.
Taylor, Judith Mundlak. 2019. "Judith (Mundlak) Taylor reports on the Year of 1952." Somerville College Report, 2019-2020. Accessed January 9, 2025. https://issuu.com/somervillecollege/docs/somerville_college_report_2020_-_online/s/11635176.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Judith Taylor, 2023.
- Processing information:
-
Michelle Trujillo created this finding aid.
- Physical location:
- This collection is stored off-site at the Northern Regional Library Facility. Researchers should contact Archives and Special Collections to request collections in advance.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-05-07 15:36:11 -0700 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
This collection is not yet processed. Please contact Special Collections in advance to request access.
- Terms of access:
-
All applicable copyrights for the collection are protected under chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code. Requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California as the owner of the physical items. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Judith Taylor Papers, D-748, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, University of California, Davis.
- Location of this collection:
-
University of California, Davis, Special Collections, UC Davis Library100 NW QuadDavis, CA 95616-5292, US
- Contact:
- (530) 752-1621