Written by Anna Robson, Associate Collections Curator – Biology, York Museums Trust

A new foyer case exhibition titled ‘The Life and Work of Botanist Catherine ‘Kit’ Rob: An insider’s look at the Yorkshire Museum’s Herbarium’ is now on display at the Yorkshire Museum. This exhibition displays the herbarium in a new light, being one of the only times the museum has exhibited the dried plant specimens to the public. It is also a special exhibit of material from Kit’s personal paper archive which has been kindly loaned by the University of York’s Borthwick Institute for Archives.

The Yorkshire Museum’s herbaria contain thousands of specimens, with its origins in the Yorkshire Philosophical Society (YPS) which was founded near 200 years ago. The YPS herbaria was first catalogued by Henry J. Wilkinson, Honorary Curator of Botany (1892 – 1933), and is still used as a reference guide by researchers interested in the museum’s herbarium and by curators.

The Catherine Muriel Rob herbarium came to the museum around 1975, shortly after her death. The Rob Collection contains specimens collected by Kit from her early 20s to her mid 50s, but also other collectors such as Dr Margaret Bradshaw (a leading expert on Lady’s mantle based at Durham University), Gertrude Foggitt (a leading North Yorkshire botanist who inspired Kit Rob’s curiosity), and Janetta Lambert (who was also a curator in the Yorkshire Museum).

Catherine Muriel Rob FLS, also known as Kit, was born in 1906 at Catton Hall near Thirsk, where she lived her entire life, and died on the 6^th February 1975 aged 68. From the age of 4, Kit was fascinated by plants. Raised by a governess and with no access to formal training on plant identification or field collecting, Kit became a leading botanist in North Yorkshire, proving the resilience of female scientists in the 20^th century.

Portrait of Kit Rob in her younger years. From an original held at the Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York.

During World War II, Kit served as a corporal at the Catterick Garrison where she was a cook. Whilst stationed here, Kit shared her passion and knowledge of plants giving lectures on botany to learned societies and Workers’ Educational Associations (organisations of promote further education for adults) and ran courses on botany.

For 37 years, Kit was the County Recorder for flowering plants in North Yorkshire for the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union (YNTU). This role involved collecting and assimilating field data from fellow YNTU members on the flora they recorded in their local areas, to create a body of data available for public use. She was the secretary of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust in the early years of its foundation and was active in the Trust’s acquisition and stewardship of the Ashberry Nature Reserve near Helmsley. Kit also served as the Chairman and President of the Union, establishing her as being committed to the dissemination of botanical knowledge and scientific advancement.

Some items from Kit’s personal paper archive are also featured in this new display which have been loaned by the University of York’s Borthwick Institute for Archives. This includes one of her Wild Flower Society diaries dating to 1972. Kit was involved as a member of the Wild Flower Society (WFS) from the age of 17. She continued to fill out diaries almost every year and was a branch secretary of the society until 1971. During her tenure at the Catterick Garrison, she even recruited some soldiers to join the WFS.

Also on display is a membership card from the charity set up in her name after her death, the Catherine Muriel Rob Natural History Society. The logo on the front of this card depicts a Bird’s-eye Primrose, a rare plant which grows uniquely on the limestone grasslands of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is the same plant which grows in the Ashberry Nature Reserve where her memorial gates are situated. This society lasted until 2014.

Foyer case display at the Yorkshire Museum. York Museums Trust.

Today, Kit’s collection is one of the few female donors we have in the collection, who represents the resilience and contribution of female scientists in the mid 20^th century. This exhibition provides a teaser to audiences of the fantastic Biology Collection we have at the Yorkshire Museum and hopes to spark new curiosity into our diverse collections.

Many thanks to the Borthwick Institute, to archivist Lydia Dean and conservator Catherine Firth, for facilitating the loan of Kit’s archive. I hope her herbarium specimens and archive will be admired by all who come. The exhibition runs from 1 December 2025 – 31 May 2026.