In the 1890s, botanist Nathaniel Lord Britton united New York City's private Gilded Age wealth with the expertise of its increasingly well-respected scientific community to realize his vision of a world-class botanical research institution situated within the landscaped confines of a newly annexed Bronx park. Today, thanks to this auspicious beginning, The New York Botanical Garden ranks among the most important institutions, both for New York City and the botanical world.