Robert Furber

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Robert Furber (1674-1756) was a British horticulturist and author, best known for writing the first seed catalogue produced in England[1].

Furber was a member of the "English Society of Gardners", a group formed in 1724 to protect the reputations of plant growers by mutually agreeing to names for newly-discovered plants. Furber contributed to the group's work, including collaborating on a book documenting the plants discovered and named by the group. [1]

Furber's most notable work was Twelve Months of Flowers, published in 1730. The book was written as a catalog of plants and seeds, and featured twelve detailed engravings of seasonal plants in bloom. Henry Fletcher produced each of the twelve hand-colored engravings from paintings by Pieter Casteels. Each plant was numbered, with a list of the corresponding species names provided. More than 400 different species of plant were featured. [1] The plates were originally sold on a subscription basis for £1 5s in uncolored form, or £2 12s 6d for a colored version. [2] The book was reprinted in 1982. [3]

In 1732, Furber produced a follow-up work entitled Twelve Months of Fruit. Like his previous collection of flowers, Twelve Months of Fruit featured twelve full-color plates with 364 different fruit. Each plate focused on one month, and showed the varieties of fruit that would ripen during that month. [4]

Other works by Furber include a 1732 book entitled The Flower Garden Displayed, a general-purpose book written for a wider audience. [1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Blunt, Wilfrid (1994). The Art of Botanical Illustration. Dover Publications, 134-135. ISBN 0486272656. 
  2. ^ Harvey, John (1972). Early Gardening Catalogues. Phillimore. ISBN 850330211X. 
  3. ^ Furber, Robert (1982). Twelve Months of Flowers. Pierpont Morgan Library. ISBN B0006YCFJY. 
  4. ^ The Dietz Press: Robert Furber Fruit Prints. The Dietz Press. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.