Stella Ross-Craig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stella Ross-Craig
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| Born | 19 March 1906 |
| Died | 6 February 2006 (aged 99) Isleworth, England, United Kingdom
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| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Chelsea Polytechnic |
| Known for | Botanical Illustration |
| Spouse(s) | Joseph Robert Sealy |
| Awards | Kew International Medal (1999) Veitch Memorial Medal (2002) |
Stella Ross-Craig was a talented English artist. She lived from 1906 to 2006. She was famous for drawing many native plants. These drawings helped people learn about the plants of Britain.
Contents
Stella Ross-Craig's Early Life and Education
Stella Ross-Craig was born in a town called Aldershot in 1906. Her parents were from Scotland. Her father worked as a chemist. From a young age, Stella was very interested in plants. She studied art at the Thanet Art School. She also took drawing classes at the Chelsea Polytechnic in London.
Stella Ross-Craig's Career as an Illustrator
In 1929, Stella started working at Kew Gardens. This is a very famous botanical garden in London. She worked there as a botanical illustrator. This means she drew plants for scientific purposes. She also worked as a taxonomist. This means she helped classify and name plants.
Stella drew for important magazines. These included Curtis's Botanical Magazine and Hooker's Icones Plantarum. Her amazing drawings caught the eye of Sir Edward Salisbury. He was the director of Kew Gardens. He helped her find a publisher for her own books.
Drawings of British Plants Series
Stella Ross-Craig started her most famous series of books in 1948. It was called Drawings of British Plants. These books were special because they were affordable. They cost only 6 shillings at first. This was different from other plant books. Those books were usually very expensive. They were mostly for scientists or rich collectors.
The series grew to 31 parts. It took until 1973 to finish all of them. The books contained over 1300 detailed drawings. These drawings were made using a method called lithography. The series included almost all the British flowering plants. She did not include grasses or sedges. Stella often drew plants from dried specimens. These were kept at Kew Gardens. She always worked in black and white.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Stella Ross-Craig received many honors for her work. In 1999, she was given the Kew International Medal. She was only the sixth person ever to receive this award. It is a very important award for people who help botany.
In 2003, when she was 95 years old, 55 of her original drawings were shown. They were displayed at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The next year, her works were shown at the Kew Gardens Gallery. Stella was also a member of the Linnean Society of London. This is a famous group for natural scientists. She was a member from 1948 to 1974. In 2002, she received the Royal Horticultural Society's Gold Veitch Memorial Medal. This award is for people who have helped gardening and botany.
Stella Ross-Craig's Personal Life
Stella Ross-Craig was married to a botanist named Joseph Robert Sealy. He was also her colleague. They first met when they were both studying at Chelsea Polytechnic.
See also
In Spanish: Stella Ross-Craig para niños
