We are delighted to welcome Charlotte Brooks, our Honorary President and RHS Art Curator who will be presenting her fascinating talk on: Miss Lilian Snelling: The Greatest Botanical Artist of Her Time

Miss Lilian Snelling was perhaps the finest flower painter of the twentieth century. She was a prolific artist, valued for her accuracy and attention to detail. Principal illustrator for Curtis’s Botanical Magazine between 1922 and 1952, Miss Snelling’s career marked the end of an era. Until 1948, she not only painted the original watercolours but she then re-drew her artwork onto zinc plates for reproduction and hand-painted a master print for a team of colourists to copy. In 1955, in recognition of her great contribution to botanical art, Miss Snelling was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s highest medal, the Victoria Medal of Honour. Over 600 of Miss Snelling’s watercolours are now held in the RHS Lindley Library.