Botany, Australia, Myoporum insulare "Forest Flora of South Australia" Antique Print, Fiveash, Brown

Antique chromolithograph drawn on stone by H. Barratt and lithographed by E Spiller after Rosa Catherine Fiveash (1855-1938), born in Adelaide and was trained in scientific illustration for this large project that she worked on for 8 years.

Printed at the Government Printer (corner of King William Rd./North Terrace) by E.Spiller, issued by subscription 1882-90 for John Edne Brown's Forest Flora of South Australia

Condition: Very good clean chromolithograph with fold in bottom right corner

Paper Size 55 x 41cm (22 x 16.4 inch) / Image Size 44.5 x 34cm (17.8 x 13.6 inch)

Certificate of Authenticity supplied.

John Ednie Brown (1848-1899) Born in Scotland, Brown visited the USA in 1871 and wrote a report on the Californian forests, it was soon after this that he was offered the position of Conservator of Forests in South Australia. Not only was South Australia's native habitats put under pressure by similar commercial cropping but also by pastoral activities, hence there was great concern. Brown had seen similar pressures on the California flora so set about recording the largest & most accurate group of lithographs depicting Australian native plants made in the colonial period. This would serve as a local botanical record: the Botanical Gardens established in 1856 could harvest and store seeds, and local artist, Rose Catherine Fiveash, was taught to depict the samples for classification. They were chromo-lithographed (Printed in color ink off lithographic Bavarian Limestone blocks) and printed by the Government Printer in Adelaide.