Heralding Modernity: innovation, internationalism, and artistry in Robert Furber's Twelve Months of Flowers

ABSTRACT: In eighteenth-century Britain the fashion for landscaping and botany across a wide cross-section of society encouraged the rise of nurserymen, who introduced species from around the globe and prolifically advertised in print. One such figure was Robert Furber (1674–1756), who published Twelve Months of Flowers – the first illustrated seed catalogue in England, desired for its beauty more than for its commercial purpose – which launched a flurry of imitations and inspired a vogue for flowers for decades to come. This article situates the catalogue within the tradition of eighteenth-century British floriculture and horticultural publications, contextualizing its appropriation of the stylistic conventions of Netherlandish floral still-life genre as well as examining the creative trends Furber set in the promotion of his botanical stock. The catalogue exemplifies the ways that nurserymen utilized publishing both to enhance their standing in polite society and to position their nurseries at the centre of a network of Enlightenment knowledge exchange. Furthermore, Furber’s fight against plagiarizers mirrors the struggles of the fledgling modern marketplace. While financially disruptive, this phenomenon also contributed to the broader circulation of the catalogue. This article contributes to the multiple debates surrounding the rapidly growing milieu of British horticulture by highlighting the role of nurserymen in the commodification of plants within the cultures of luxury and mass consumption.