Walter Hood Fitch (28 February 1817 – 14 January 1892) was abotanical illustrator, born inGlasgow,Scotland, who executed some 10,000 drawings for various publications.[1] His work in colourlithograph, including 2700 illustrations forCurtis's Botanical Magazine, produced up to 200 plates per year.[2][3][4][5]
Fitch was involved in fabric printing from the age of 17 and took to botanical art after meetingWilliam Jackson Hooker,Regius Professor of Botany, a competent botanical illustrator, and the editor ofCurtis's Botanical Magazine. Fitch's first lithograph ofMimulus roseus[6] appeared in the Botanical Magazine in 1834, and he soon became its sole artist. In 1841 W.J. Hooker became director ofRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Fitch moved toLondon. After 1841 Fitch was the sole artist for all official and unofficial publications issued by Kew; his work was paid for by Hooker personally. It was not unusual for him to work on several different publications simultaneously; he could draw directly onto thelithographic stone to save time. Thesechromolithographs were based on botanical illustrations provided by Hooker and others, and produced some of his most spectacular results.[7]
Fitch's important works include his illustrations for William Hooker'sA century of orchidaceous plants[8] (1849), and forJames Bateman'sA Monograph of Odontoglossum[9] (1864–74). He also created around 500 plates for Hooker'sIcones Plantarum (1836–76) and four lithographic plates for the monographVictoria Regia.[10] The latter work received critical acclaim in theAthenaeum, "they are accurate, and they are beautiful".[11]
Other works were forGeorge Bentham'sHandbook of the British Flora[12] (1858, later editions edited byJoseph Dalton Hooker). When J. D, Hooker returned from his travels inIndia, Fitch prepared lithographs from Hooker's sketches for hisRhododendrons of Sikkim Himalaya[13] (1849–51) and, from the drawings of Indian artists, for hisIllustrations of Himalayan Plants[14] (1855). He also produced the illustrations presented in the younger Hooker'sThe Botany of the Antarctic Voyage, consisting of six volumes covering the flora of the Antarctic, New Zealand, Tasmania, and outlying islands collected on theRoss expedition of 1839 to 1843.[3]
A dispute over pay with J. D. Hooker ended Fitch's service to both theBotanical Magazine and Kew in 1877. He was much sought after and remained active as a botanical artist until 1888. Works during this period includedHenry John Elwes'sMonograph of the Genus Lilium[15] (1877–80). His renown as a botanical illustrator was such that his obituary inNature stated "... his reputation was so high and so world-wide that it is unnecessary to say much on this point."[16]
The standardauthor abbreviationFitch is used to indicate this individual as the author when citing a botanical name.[17][18] Fitch was made a fellow of theLinnean Society in 1857.[1] He died 14 January 1892 and is buried inRichmond Old Cemetery together with his wife Hannah (died 13 March 1929).[5]
The genusFitchia is named for him.
His nephew,John Nugent Fitch (1840 – 1927), also produced illustrations forCurtis's Botanical Magazine.
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