Othello black grape lithograph c1908. What a beauty!

by Hedrick, U.P.

Bunch of black grapes on branch. Lifelike image c1908.

Original photolithograph for horticulturist, U.P. Hedrick's The Grapes of New York published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1908. This beautiful illustration was produced by photographing each fruit with four colour-record negatives from which the final colour plate could be printed.

From 1905 to 1925 the USDA employed artists and published fine illustrations on fruit crops being grown in the U.S. The earliest of these wonderful illustrations were small lithographs for Apples of New York, for Station horticulturist Spencer Ambrose Beach (1860-1922). From 1883 to 1900 Beach's research included over 700 species of apples and crabapples!  Over a period of 18 years horticulturist, Ulysses Prentiss Hedrick (1870-1951) continued the work, and was responsible for six beautifully illustrated works on grapes, plums, cherries, peaches, pears and small fruits.

Page size is 280 x 225mm (11.75 x 9.25 inches). Very faint crease at top right of page.