Join us for The Mushroom Letters, a dramatic reading of the correspondence between Mary Elizabeth Banning, a self-taught mycologist, and Charles H. Peck, a leading mycologist at the New York State Museum. Banning, who dedicated her life to studying fungi, created stunning illustrations and described new species, despite living in relative obscurity and poverty. Her unpublished manuscript, The Fungi of Maryland, filled with 175 exquisite watercolors, remained hidden for nearly a century before being rediscovered in the 1980s. This event brings to life the letters that captured her passionate pursuit of mycology and her connection with Peck, offering a glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of a woman working in a male-dominated field.
Banning’s correspondence reveals the depth of her fascination with fungi. At a time when women were often excluded from formal scientific study, Banning and other self-taught women mycologists contributed significantly to the field, challenging societal norms. Through this reading, we celebrate Banning’s contributions to mycology, her artistry, and the legacy of her work, which continues to influence the scientific world today.
