Category:Wild Flowers of New York (1918)

This category contains plates from State Museum (John M. Clarke Director) Memoir 15, Wild Flowers of New York, in Two Parts, by Homer D. House, State Botanist, published in Albany by The University of the State of New York in 1918, as described in the following articles. They were released in Volumes 2 and 3 of the New York State Museum 72nd Annual Report 1918, which was published in Albany by The University of the State of New York, in 1920.

Report of the State Botanist 1916

Wild Flowers of New York. The season of 1916 was largely spent in continuation of the field work necessary for the completion of the proposed memoir on the Wild Flowers of New York State. This work was started early in August 1915 and with the appearance of the earliest spring flowers in April 1916, the work was carried forward and completed late in September of the past year. During the two months of 1915 and the six months from April 15 to September 15, 1916, there were photographed in the field 364 species of plants which, because of their conspicuous flowers or attractive appearance might be classed under the rather indefinite term of "wild flowers."

The 364 illustrations will be in colors and grouped on about 264 plates, of which 155 plates will have each a single illustration and the 97 remaining plates will contain two illustrations each. The text will consist of a brief description of each species together with its range and such other remarks concerning its habitat as seem proper.

By means of a specially constructed apparatus as shown in the accompanying illustration (figure 1) each flower was photographed in position as it grew, without any interference from wind or excessive sunlight. For each subject there were taken one or two (usually two) dry-plate photographs and one Lumiere (autochrome) photograph. These were usually developed within a few hours so that any serious faults might be corrected by taking another exposure of the subject.

It is proper to remark here that the success of these photographs is largely due to the skill, patience and enthusiasm, often under disagreeable physical circumstances, shown by the two photographers employed: Mr Walter B. Starr of the Matthews-Northrup Company, Buffalo, and Mr Harold H. Snyder of the Zeese-Wilkinson Company, New York.

Each subject photographed was given a number in order to facilitate the designation of them in subsequent correspondence, engraving and arrangement in final order. Photographic proofs of the dry plates were marked with directions for size of completed illustration and such other alterations as seemed desirable and duplicate copies of such proofs were kept on file in the Botanist's office. From retouched photographs approved by the Botanist, the engraving companies made their plates for engraving, which were etched down with the autochrome positive as a color guide until each of the four copper plates gave the proper register of color when used upon the press in combination with one another, that is to say, blue, yellow, red and black. — Homer D. House, State Botanist [NewYork State Museum Bulletin, No. 197, Albany, NY, May 1, 1917]

Botanical Abstracts 1921

House, Homer D. Wild flowers of New York. New York State Mus. Mem. 15. 361 p., 164 quadricolor photo pl., 36 fig. 1918 (1920). — The author has presented a treatment of the wild flowers of New York similar in purpose and scope to Fuertes' "Birds of New York," but while the colored plates of the latter were reproduced from original paintings by Fuertes, in the present memoir all illustrations are from photographs, 35 species being shown in black and white half tone and 364 species in natural colors by the quadricolor process. In this process, from black and white photographs taken in the field, "four plates were made to print respectively yellow, red, blue, and black, the latter to give shade and depth to picture. With a lumiere photograph as guide (this having been taken in the field at same time as black and white photos) the other 3 plates were etched down to print each its respective color in the correct proportion and position. These plates set up in press and printed in sequence, yellow, blue, red, black, in perfect register give the quadricolor process picture." Of the 402 species illustrated, nearly all are herbaceous, there being only a few shrubs (Ericaceae notably) and no trees. Numerous foreign species now run wild in this territory are included. Eighty-eight families (following Britton and Brown, 2nd ed.), are represented, many by only a single species, but of the order Liliales 26 species are shown, of the orchid family 28 (thus reflecting the popular interest in this group), of the buttercup family 22, and of Rosales as a whole 44 species. The genus Viola is fully represented by 17 species while of the order Ericales there are 20, of mints 13, of the Scrophulariaceae 17, and of composites in the broad sense 50 species. Descriptive text accompanies the plates and figures, all being printed on uniform medium weight coated paper. Common names are given in dark faced type followed by the scientific name in italics. A paragraph of technical description, another of habitat relations, geographical distribution, flowering data, and frequence. Frequently also data as to related genera or species are given and, in some cases, items of general information or historical interest are added. Keys to more difficult or larger genera are included; as in Polygala, Viola, and Aster. The text and plates are preceded by 23 pages of descriptions of plant structures for the aid of persona not trained in the use of manuals — a sort of illustrated glossary with 95 cuts adapted from Gray's Lessons in Botany. — W. L. Bray. [from Botanical Abstracts, Vol. 8, No. 3, 1921.]