The Herefordshire pomona.
By Bill Laws
The Herefordshire Pomona is a remarkable book. Launched in the late nineteenth century as no more than a collection of ‘coloured figures and descriptions of the most esteemed kinds of Apples and Pears,’ it is widely considered a landmark in British publishing.
Despite its provincial origins – much of it was written by a country doctor and illustrated by his daughter and a virtually unknown artist – the Pomona has gained an international reputation and risen in value like a piece of fine art. Thanks to the 441 exceptional watercolours by its women illustrators, in effect this is what it is.