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Some notes on the
Hunt Botanical Library Collections
of drawings, prints, and paintings.
-
Wilfrid Blunt

The original botanical drawings, albums of flower paintings, and engravings in the Rachel McMasters Miller Hunt Botanical Library form the nucleus of a remarkable collection illustrating the development of botanical illustration throughout the ages. The material is, however, in its present state inevitably both incomplete and unbalanced - and for very obvious and understandable reasons. First, it is basically a privately-made collection which reveals - as all such collections should - the personal preferences of its maker; and second, it lacks works of many important botanical artists because it is very difficult - indeed often impossible - to obtain, at any price whatever, original drawings by some of the greatest flower painters. For example, painters such as Redouté and other artists of his circle are very strongly represented, whereas the brothers Bauer, possibly the greatest botanical draughtsmen of all; are represented only by engraved work. Most of the gaps in the printed book section can, with the assistance of book-dealers, in time be filled; but what are the chances, today, of purchasing original work by the Bauers adequately to represent them? Yet, if the collection is to be of real value to students of botanical illustration, such gaps must, in my opinion, in some manner be filled.

It seems to me that potential users of the collection of original botanical drawings, illustrated botanical works, albums of flower paintings, engravings, photographs, reproductions in colour or monochrome, microfilms, colour-transparencies, photo-data-cards, etc., (hereafter to be referred to as "the Collection") may be listed in one of six categories:
A. The serious student of the history and development of Botanical Illustration.
B. The professional flower painter and/or illustrator of botanical and horticultural works.