The Royal Horticultural Society Diary 2003 Brent Elliott
The illustrations for this RHS diary are taken from possibly the finest of early colour-printed books and the first botanical work to be published in colour on continental Europe. The Phytanthoza Iconographia was complied by Johann Wilhelm Weinmann (1683-1741), a wealthy apothecary and collector of botanical art from Regensburg, Germany. Although none of the artists is named, the most famous artist working for Weinmann was Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-1770), one of the greatest botanical illustrators, and some of the plates in the Phytanthoza may be based on his drawings. The diary is full of useful information, including the dates of the RHS flower shows. Each week is illustrated by a full-page coloured mezzotint engraving. National holidays are listed for Britain, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. Religious holidays and astronomical information are also included.