The Katherine Esau Digital Archive

                                                              Katherine Esau seated at electron microscope.

The Katherine Esau Digital Archive is a growing resource of digital images of plants, people, places, and documents that showcase Katherine Esau's remarkable life and career as a plant anatomist and professor at the University of California. Approximately 350 images, chosen from her papers, are available for educational use through Calisphere, part of the California Digital Library. Many more will be available through the CCBER web site.

Katherine Esau was a world renowned plant anatomist who pioneered the use of the electron microscope for the study of plant viruses. She also taught generations of college students about plant structure and function, created an abundant body of research, and had a very productive life.

These web pages provide additional information about Esau's life, her career and research, and a variety of resources that teachers and students in grades 5-8 can use to enhance their knowledge of plant science. For additional information, see a complete inventory of the Katherine Esau Papers located in the CCBER archives.

Come find out why this woman has been a role model for young scholars for almost 80 years, and experience her world of plants through the microscope!


Publication of the Katherine Esau Digital Archive and creation of the online finding aid to the Esau papers was partially funded by a grant from the California State Library under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and by a "Museums for America" grant funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.