Years before we had cameras, people relied on artists and their work to capture the world around them.
The bookFungi Collected in Shropshire and Other Neighbourhoodsis an example of this art form.
The project itself is divided into three dense volumes.
Accompanying each piece is a hand-written note of what species it is.
The only known volumes are hand-drawn and hand-bound, suggesting they were the only copies made.
you’re free to browse all volumes of Lewis’s book on theInternet Archive.
A vintage 19th-century book titledFungi Collected in Shropshire and Other Neighbourhoodsdocuments the biodiversity of mushrooms in England.
It was written and illustrated by a female author named F.M.
Lewis over the course of over 40 years (18601902).
The watercolor and ink illustrations capture fungi that Lewis found across Endlang and Wales.
The project is divided into three densely packed volumes.
Many pages include several species collaged together.
