Prunus persica - Silvestre
1909
Floating in a vast expanse of cream-colored paper, three small, reddish fruits tell a story of botanical science. Artist Elsie E. Lower created this precise study in 1909, documenting a 'Wild Peach' collected in Fallon, Nevada. Notice how she captures the fruit in three stages: whole, sliced open to reveal the textured pit, and the dried pit standing alone like a little wooden top. The handwritten notes at the bottom, including the number 44027, reveal this was likely part of a massive government effort to catalog plant species—essentially a scientific ID card for a fruit. It’s a charming glimpse into the meticulous work of early 20th-century illustrators who helped us understand the wild ancestors of our favorite snacks.
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