An increased flow of exotic plants from the
Middle East, South Africa and the Americas appeared in England at the end of
the eighteenth century, encouraging a love of plant collecting and botany among
the upper classes, as well as tradesmen who competed and developed the ideal
forms of “Florist” flowers. By the nineteenth century the enthusiasm for all
things botanical was spreading to all levels of society. After 1840 the seed
and nursery trade expanded exponentially along the railways, improved mail
service, and annually published booklet catalogues.
In America, many more seed and nursery
companies came into being during the second half of the nineteenth century,
especially after the Civil War. Mail-order became much more common due to
improved transportation networks amd postal reforms that made it cheaper to
ship plants and seeds, as well as catalogues. Mail-order companies increased
the size and number of catalogues they produced.
With the growth of towns and cities
throughout the country, seed and nursery companies faced a huge potential
market, but also increased competition. As a result, many catalogues tried to
distinguish themselves from their competitors by promoting more novelties and
giving vegetable and flower varieties names containing superlatives such as
Mammoth, Giant, and Perfection. Catalogue covers became more elaborate.
This is part 1 of a 3 - part post on Vintage
Seed Catalogues:
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| 1882 The New Guide to Rose Culture The Dingee and Conard Company, West Grove, PA |
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| 1883 Benson, Maule and Reliable Seeds Benson, Maule & Co., Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1883 Landreths Rural Register Alamanac and Catalogue, Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1884 Landreths' Companion for the Garden Farm, Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1885 John Lewis Childs, Queens NY Illustrated Catalogue of New, Rare, and Beautiful Flowers front cover |
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| 1885 John Lewis Childs, Queens NY Illustrated Catalogue of New, Rare, and Beautiful Flowers back cover |
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| 1887 Burpee's Farm Annual - Garden Farm & Flower Seeds W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1888 I.V. Faust Garden - Field - and Flower Seeds I.V. Faust, Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1888 Faust Garden or King of the Blacks Pansy I.V. Faust, Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1888 Burpee's Farm Annual. Garden, Flower & Farm Seeds. W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1888 Wm. Henry Maule, Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1889 The New Guide to Rose Culture The Dingee & Conard Co. West Grove, Chester Co. PA |
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| 1889 Rawson's Vegetable & Flower Seeds W.W. Rawson & Co., Boston, MA |
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| 1889 Maule's Seed Catalogue Wm. Henry Maule, Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1890 New, Rare & Beautiful Flowers John Lewis Childs, Floral Park, NY |
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| 1890 Child's Superb New Gloxinias John Lewis Childs, Floral Park, NY |
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| 1890s Seed & Plant Guide H.W. Buckbee, Rockford, IL |
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| 1890s Floral Treasures The Good & Reese Co., Springfield, Ohio |
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| 1891 Maule's Seed Catalogue for 1891 Wm. Henry Maule, Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1892 Northern Grown Tested Seeds Northrup, Braslan & Goodwin, Minneapolis, MN |
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| 1892 Bulbs, Plants, Seeds. Peter Henderson & Co., New York |
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| 1892 Wilson's 16 Annual Price List and Catalogue Samuel Wilson, Mechanicsville, Bucks County, PA |
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| 1892 Sutton's Amateur's Guide in Horticulture for 1892 Sutton & Sons, Reading, UK |
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| 1892 Our New Guide to Rose Culture The Dingee and Conard Company, West Grove, PA |
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| 1893 Seed Catalogue D.M. Ferry & Co., Detroit, MI |
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| 1893 Illustrated Hand Book Rawson's Vegetable & Flower Seeds W.W. Rawson & Co., Boston, MA |
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| 1893 The Perry Seed Store, Syracuse, NY front cover |
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| 1893 The Perry Seed Store, Syracuse, NY back cover |
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| 1893 The Storrs & Harrison Co., Painesville, Ohio |
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| 1893 The Storrs & Harrison Co., Painesville, Ohio |
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| 1893 Special Advertisement of Burpee's Seeds W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1893 Pansies, Poppies and Sweet Peas W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1893 Burpee's Catalogue of Flowering Bulbs, Plants & Seeds for Autumn Planting W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1894 C.E. Allen Plant and Seed Guide C.E. Allen, Brattleboro, VT front cover |
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| 1894 C.E. Allen Plant and Seed Guide C.E. Allen, Brattleboro, VT back cover |
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| 1894 Cole's Garden Annual 1894 Garden, Farm and Flower Seeds Cole's, Pella, Ohio front cover |
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| 1894 From Cole's Seed Store Cole's, Pella, Ohio back cover |
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| 1894 F. Barteldes & Co., Lawrence, Kansas |
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| 1894 Child's rare Flowers, Vegetables & Fruits for 1894 John Lewis Childs, Floral Park, NY |
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| 1894 Scott's Roses, Philadelphia, PA |
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| 1894 The Huntington Seed Co., Indianapolis, IN front cover |
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| 1894 The Huntington Seed Co., Indianapolis, IN back cover |
