From its creation in 1804 the Horticultural Society of London (as the RHS was then known) recognised the challenges in recording, naming, and identifying fruit. This was important for the horticultural trade, for market gardeners, amateur gardeners, and the cider and perry producing industries. There was often over confusion over plant names, and illustrations could help avoid misidentification. In the RHS archives we have several fruit-recording notebooks, containing written descriptions of fruit received by the Society, or grown in its first garden at Chiswick:

Extract from a volume describing apples, pears and grapes received at the Society between 1818 and 1837. Reference: RHS/Chk/6/1/1

If a picture really is worth at least a hundred words, then all of this can be captured in a single drawing.

William Hooker and his fruit drawings

In 1815 the Society undertook a major fruit identification study. They commissioned William Hooker (1779-1832), an exceedingly knowledgeable plantsman and talented artist, to create a series of accurate visual records of specific fruit (and some flower) specimens. Each year around 25 watercolour drawings were completed. These were bound into albums, typical of the early nineteenth-century house style of the RHS, with marbled end papers. Ten volumes in total were created for the study, containing around 250 paintings.

William Hooker, The Nonesuch Apple, 1818. Reference: A/HFD/4/5

How were Hooker’s fruit drawings commissioned?

The formation of the drawings collection was rather ad-hoc in manner. Members of committees or the RHS Council would request a drawing of a particular flowering plant or fruit, as a record. Specimens were often presented to members at fortnightly meetings. If it was considered interesting or noteworthy Hooker was requested to paint it.

This became known as the Miscellaneous Collection of Drawings; a set of loose drawings of fruit and flowers on all aspects of gardening, to support practical advice and information on new plant introductions. The Society’s Council quickly realised there needed to be a dedicated committee to handle the commissions, which led to the formation of the Drawings Committee. Hooker’s drawings were working drawings – used for identification and record, so notes were occasionally recorded on the sheets. The Drawings Committee could recommend Hooker make alterations to the drawing, however they soon realised that if they tinkered with every illustration and requested alterations, they would never be completed.

William Hooker, The Syke House Apple, 1816. Reference: A/HFD/2/9

How did Hooker’s drawings help identify fruit?

The drawings presented slightly idealised versions of fruits and were required to show how the fruit grows on the branch. Apple drawings generally have two views – the stalk and attachment to the branch, and the eye of the apple. Hooker had to capture a number of characteristics in each drawing: the colour and texture of the skin, and any changes to the colour; the underside and top side of the leaves; bud and branch texture; a cut cross section for colouration and pip pattern; and blossom.

There were several challenges with the work. Assuming all the specimens could be located and identified, the timing was difficult. The official commission was not signed off until June 1815, meaning Hooker had missed the early part of the growing season. The buds and blossom had to be added the following year, and of course apples will ripen at the same time each year – so Hooker was always playing catch up. And even if the work could be spread evenly across the year, Hooker would have needed to complete a painting roughly every two weeks.

William Hooker, Little Muscat, 1820. Reference: A/HFD/6/19

Hooker continued to produce illustrations for the fruit identification project, as well as for other miscellaneous collections and commissions, until 1822, when his health failed, and he could no longer paint. Sadly, it seems the Society’s weight of expectation was too great. The work rate he was expected to complete took its toll. Of the ten volumes, 1 to 7 are by William Hooker, 8 and 9 are by several other artists brought in the help finish the commission. Volume 10 is something of a misnomer as it contains Roses by John Lindley and Edwin Dalton Smith.

William Hooker, The Romana Melon. [Unfinished]. Plate 16. A/HFD/4/16

Links

Hooker's Fruit Drawings on RHS Digital Collections