Romeyn B. Hough
The American Woods (1917)
The Ohio State University Libraries Collection

Romeyn B. Hough (1857-1924) created The American Woods as a 14-volume collection of actual specimens of the most prominent forest trees in the United States, both native and introduced. Each specimen is represented by three thin sections of wood—transverse, radial, and tangential—and mounted in a frame. The accompanying text contains keys and botanical descriptions. Hough was inspired by the work of his father, Franklin B. Hough (1822-1885), the first chief of the United States Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry (predecessor to the United States Forest Service).