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Plate 8

Colour engraved plate entitled 'Leaves' from 'The Vegetable System' by John Hill, M.D. published in 1761 under the patronage of Lord Bute. Hill, a doctor and apothecary who had a botanic garden at Bayswater, London, published many works including herbals. His 'Vegetable System', a new way of classifying plants based on their flowers, was published in 26 volumes. Hill is sometimes known as Sir John Hill as he was made a Knight of the Swedish Order of Vasa in 1774.

'Blush Provence rose'

Watercolour on vellum by James Bolton inscribed 'James Bolton pinxit, Stannary near Halifax'. Bolton was born in West Yorkshire, England and was the son of a weaver. He was a self- taught botanist, artist and engraver. His brother Thomas Bolton (1722-1778) was also a naturalist. James Bolton was highly successful as a mycologist and author of several botanical books including the first British book on fungi. James and Thomas Bolton were both sponsored by the art and natural history collector Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, Duchess of Portland (1715-1785). Painting date c.1790s.

Knight's scarlet fleshed Strawberry

Watercolour on paper by Augusta Innes Withers of Knight's scarlet fleshed Strawberry. This is taken from one of ten volumes known as 'Hooker's Fruits' commissioned by the RHS to help standardise the nomenclature of cultivated fruit. After William Hooker suffered a stroke Withers was one of several artists appointed to complete the paintings. Withers was flower painter to Queen Adelaide and Queen Victoria as well as illustrating works by John Lindley and James Bateman. This painting is dated 1825.