'Ladies Botany'
Explore the RBGE's rich collection of Scottish native species by women illustrators.
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Discover the work of women illustrators in the RBGE collection
Catalogued and curated as part of a SGSAH-funded Internship focused on increasing accessibility, ‘Ladies Botany’: Women Illustrators of Scottish Species’, seeks to showcase the beautiful and diverse interpretations of Scottish flora by women artists housed in the RBGE Library art collection. Much of this work has never been digitised before, bringing a unique perspective on native botanical study to the wider public.
Examples in the exhibition range from mid-19th-century works to contemporary interpretations in a variety of media, such as pen-and-ink drawings, watercolour, pencil rubbings, and coloured pencils, each bringing a distinct texture and composition to their subjects. It has been wonderful to uncover how one species can be interpreted in myriad ways – keep a lookout for this when exploring the collection.
The species selected for exhibition reflect several key factors: current reintroductions, priority and rare species, and those of cultural significance. Data from Scotland’s Biodiversity Progress Report (2020), Scottish Wild Plants (1996), and the ‘Scottish Rare Plants Trail at the RBGE’ pamphlet (1995) have all been important historical sources. Likewise, the ongoing reintroduction work carried out by the conservation team at the RBGE led to the inclusion of important species such as the rusty woodsia (mion-raineach Ruadh / woodsia ilvensis) and the alpine blue sow thistle (bliochdan gorm ailpeach / cicerbita alpina).
With increased access in mind, this exhibition provides three taxonomic names for each species: the common name, Scots Gaelic name, and the scientific name in that order. Similarly, instead of organising the collection alphabetically, it is organised by colour of the species flower, in tribute to Mary McMurtrie’s organisational system. This curatorial decision has been taken to aid discovery and highlight an alternative method of interacting with archive collections that is visually and experientially led.
Artists featured in collection:
Jane Wisely
Mary Mendum
Mary McMurtrie
Hannah Tiedeman
Catherine Mary Stirling
Elizabeth McNab
Charlotte Cowan Pearson
Catalogued & curated by Alice Eaves
SGSAH Intern, PhD Creative Writing (University of Edinburgh)