Bolus Herbarium collection
+/- 2000 taxonomical paintings and drawings scanned
A collection of approximately 2000 delicate, precise and vividly coloured taxonomical botanical paintings and drawings illustrating a hugely diverse family of succulent plants that are endemic to Southern Africa made by Mary Page and Beatrice Carter in the early 1900s.
The Bolus Herbarium is the oldest functioning herbarium in Africa and the project managers of this Humanitec-funded project, Cornelia Klak and Terry Trinder-Smith, chose to digitise a collection of watercolour paintings and drawings by botanical artists Mary Page and Beatrice Carter who were employed at the Bolus Herbarium in the early 1900s. Both were trained artists who were employed especially to illustrate the Mesembs, a very diverse family of about 1800 species of succulents that are almost endemic to Southern Africa. The Bolus Herbarium has a very rich ‘type’ collection of Mesembs or Aizoaceae. Read more