Showcase for this issue of JBC features selected works from the 2005 Exhibition of The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI).

Founded at the Smithsonian Institution in 1968, GNSI has grown to become part of the global community. It is a non-profit organization that sets high professional standards, provides opportunities for professional and scholarly development, encourages and assists member networking, and promotes itself to potential clients and the general public.

Before 1966 the few trained or experienced scientific illustrators working in the United States had little or no contact with one another, even at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, where there was a concentration of scientific illustrators. Each stayed in a corner of the National Museum of Natural History, often not knowing other illustrators in the same building. This situation still exists in some other museums. Carolyn Bartlett Gast, Smithsonian scientific illustrator for both Departments of Vertebrate and Invertebrate Zoology at the time, decided to remedy the situation. She organized a series of luncheons featuring speakers on topics relevant to scientific illustration such as printing or exhibits preparation. Elaine R. Snyder Hodges, then a contract illustrator of crustacea, typed and distributed notices of the meetings to the twenty or so scientific and medical illustrators that could be found in the Washington, DC area. More and more illustrators heard about and attended the luncheons. A need had been identified.

Threaded through the history of the Guild has been the support of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Meeting space has been generously provided. In September, 1969, the Museum helped host the first exhibit of scientific illustration, providing a room for technique demonstrations, and a reception. Since then several exhibits of scientific illustration have been held at the Museum, including two permanent exhibits installed in 1988 and 1996. In June of 1986 the Smithsonian co-hosted the Guild's annual meeting with George Washington University and again in 1996.