ACTINOMERIS HELIANTHOIDESLunzer-6595.html
COREOPSIS GRANDIFLORALunzer-6622.html
MARTENSIA VIRGINICALunzer-6584.html
ASPIDIUM GOLDIANUMLunzer-6621.html
CONOPHOLIS AMERICANALunzer-6564.html
AMORPHA CANESCENSLunzer-6586.html
EPIGEA REPENSLunzer-6589.html
DICENTRA FORMOSALunzer-6590.html
LEPACHYS COLUMNARISLunzer-6587.html
Alois Lunzer (1840-   ?   )
American School

FLOWERS AND FERNS, c.1880-1896

10 x 7 inches / unframed
Mixed media (watercolor, pen & ink & pencil)

	                                  Illustrated: Meehan, Thomas, The Native Flowers & Ferns 
		                                                    of the United States, Boston: L. Prang & Co, 1878-1898

	                                  Provenance:	Isaura Margarita Blanco de Pokral, 
                                                                  Washington D.C. since 1971
			                                            Private Collection, San Diego, since 1999


	This is a most unusual collection of botanicals as American botanicals are quite rare.  We have not been able to find any biographical information available on the artist of this unique collection.  However, we feel that Alois Lunzer was a highly competent draughtsman and an artist whose sensitivity to his subject gives this body of work artistic expression in addition to its scientific accuracy.  

Mr. Lunzer worked under the supervision of eminent botanist and horticulturist Thomas Meehan, Professor of Botany to the Pennsylvania State Board of Agriculture, and Vice President of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.  Meehan’s hand written and signed approval appears on the verso of many of the watercolors.  Great care and expense were incurred in procuring choice specimens from different parts of the country for inclusion in Professor Meehan’s publication.  The state of origin has been penciled on a few of the watercolors, including Alabama, California, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Utah.

	The collection includes 59 sheets of botanical wildflowers and ferns, most of which were published in Meehan’s monthly periodicals during the 1890s.  Two of the botanicals are really a pair and should be kept together.  It should be noted that we have not personally verified the publication of each of these botanicals.  This information was provided by the person who owned the collection approximately twenty years ago.  Most are in excellent condition and signed or initialed by the artist.  A few, however, are foxed as shown in one of the enclosed photographs.