Photographs, Colour Paintings, Illustrations
248 pages, 250 x 220 mm
Publisher:
National Library of Australia
Around 1870, Ferdinand von Mueller, the greatest Australian botanist of the nineteenth century, began to advertise in several newspapers across Australia for 'lady' plant collectors. This was at a time when women typically had little recourse to science, or contact with men outside their circle of friends, making Mueller's network of ladies quite extraordinary. Collecting Ladies profiles 14 of Mueller's coterie of women collectors. Included are Fanny Charsley, Louisa Atkinson, Annie Walker and Ellis Rowan for whom Mueller made time to assist in pursuit of their own passions. He identified the plants they painted and provided letters of introduction to publishers and scientists. Together, these ladies produced some of the most beautiful books and botanical art to come out of Australia in the nineteenth century, covering all the Australian colonies.
Provides a lively protrait of each woman featured, beautifully complemented with photographs, drawings and paintings in full colour.
Penny Olsen AM is a research scientist and natural history writer, based at the Australian National University in Canberra.
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