Overview
This album illustrates the European craze for ferns in the late 1800s, and how native New Zealand elements were absorbed into that fad.
New Zealand was a fern-lover’s dream. Colonial settlers often sent albums of pressed ferns ‘home’ as gifts. The albums were as popular as books of local scenery today. Specialist dealers offered options to suit all tastes and budgets – plus materials for do-it-yourself enthusiasts.
Bohemian-born craftsman Anton Seuffert produced several deluxe editions like this. He used native timbers and intricate designs, many inspired by Māori motifs. The ferns on the cover here are so accurately depicted that their species can be easily identified