Robert Furber

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]

March. In: Twelve Months of Flowers, 1730

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]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Blunt, Wilfrid (1994). The Art of Botanical Illustration. Dover Publications. pp. 134–135. ISBN 0-486-27265-6.
  2. ↑ Harvey, John (1972). Early Gardening Catalogues. Phillimore. ISBN 85-03-30211-X.
  3. ↑ Furber, Robert (1982). Twelve Months of Flowers. Pierpont Morgan Library. ASIN B0006YCFJY.
  4. ↑ "The Dietz Press: Robert Furber Fruit Prints". The Dietz Press. Retrieved 2007-11-27.