Anna Maria Hussey - Published 1840s Watercolour Agaricus Procerus

Description

Anna Maria Hussey - Published Original 1840s Watercolour. Part of the watercolour has previously been drawn on another sheet and has been cut out and pasted on this sheet. This is the original watercolour made for Plate LXXXVIII in the publication 'Illustrations of British mycology: Containing figures and descriptions of the funguses of interest and novelty indigenous to Britain', as seen in the photos above. Unsigned. On wove. Small loss to lower right corner of page. 2.5cm tear along lower edge. Minor areas of discolouration to left side.

Born Anna Maria Reed in 1805, Mrs. T. J. Hussey was both illustrator and author of Illustrations of British Mycology. She was married to Thomas John Hussey, an amateur astronomer who, following in his father-in-law’s footsteps, became Rector of Hayes, Kent. Both Husseys had a family history of involvement in the sciences. Mrs. Hussey’s sister, Fanny Reed, was also an illustrator and Reverend Hussey’s relative, James Hussey, was a member of the Botanical Society. Rev. Hussey was a regular contributor to the Transactions of the Royal Astronomical Society and other publications and was the first to propose the existence of an 8th planet based on his observations of the motions of Uranus. After 1837, his contributions ceased and in 1839 he offered his Observatory for sale to Durham University. Her career as a mycological illustrator began in earnest in the 1840s. With three children to raise, the motive for both the sale of his instruments and her publishing activities was probably financial. In recent years, Anna Maria Hussey has attracted attention as a Victorian, female, scientific illustrator and was one of twelve such artists featured in a 2005 'Women's Work' exhibition staged in the United States by the Linda Hall Library and Missouri Botanical Garden Library. Her correspondence with Berkeley has also been published and she has recently received an entry in the Dictionary of National Biography. Two mushroom genera have been named in her honour. The first, was called Husseia by Berkeley in 1847, prior to the publication of her book. The second was posthumously named Husseya by J. G. Agardh in 1901. (In 1958, to avoid confusion caused by the homonym, the latter was renamed Husseyella by George F. Papenfuss.)

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Size

30.8 x 19.5cm (12.1" x 7.7")

Collection Information

Part of an excellent collection of accomplished coloured sketches of fungi, by Anna Maria Hussey (5 June 1805 – 26 August 1853), some of which are the original drawn illustrations for her publication 'Illustrations of British mycology: Containing figures and descriptions of the funguses of interest and novelty indigenous to Britain'. Published between 1847 and 1855, this magnificent publication includes 140 hand-coloured lithographic plates. The Lenhardt Library at the Chicago Botanic Garden has a beautiful copy of this work in its collection, in its unique way a botanical and artistic landmark. Her illustrations continue to be recognized today for their beauty and detail.

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