In order to be aware of new plant breeds, scientists and growers need to receive accurate renderings of new cultivars. Photographs have been used to provide these renderings since the late nineteenth century. Before the invention of the camera, such renderings came from artists and publishers who specialized in botanical illustration. Artists continue to fill a need in scientific research and they join a small group of fine press printers who find their subject matter in nature. This exhibit offers a selection of images from collections in the Department of Special Collections originally made for scholars, growers, and ultimately, collectors.

Iris macrosiphon by Margaret Stones,
Occidental, California, April 7, 1987.