^{(Photograph = Plate XVII, Britton and Rose, Mary Emily Eaton)}

Introduction

Before color photography, people could only see and appreciate the color of far away places and things though paintings. Botanical illustrations were needed to illustrate early herbals and cook books. The goal was to provided information that could be shared across languages and through generations. Later, as science demanded more precise illustrations, drawings and paintings became more realistic.

The Details

Mary Emily Eaton (1873-1961) was born on 27 November 1873 in Coleford, Gloucestershire, England.  She  is best known as a botanical artist for her illustrations in The Cactaceae (Britton and Rose, 1919-1923, volume 1; volume 2, volume 3, and volume 4) for which she was the principal illustrator.

Ms. Eaton was employed by the New York Botanical Garden from about 1911 to 1932. Her illustrations are housed at the National Geographic Magazine and in the Contributions from the U.S. National Herbarium. Full-size PDF drawings of many types of plants are available at Plant Illustrations.

Additional Reading: Drawing Plants