The 1903 catalog of J. Bolgiano & Son was straddling the artwork/photograph divide. Colorful lithographs still deliver the punch of cover color that is so attractive, while black & white engravings and photographs illustrate the plants inside the catalog.
The photographs are poor, at least by today's standards, but I guess buyers might feel more confidence in them than the stylized engravings. But the engravings give you more dreaming room...and I think some people might have preferred them. This period of catalogs, before higher quality photo printing, is awkward to say the least.
This is a charming engraving!
The lovely crisp crease lines in a cosmos petal are visible in the photo but they aren't brought to the buyers attention as a line drawing would.
The photo is OK, but the engraving more clearly shows the architecture of the flower.
It isn't the most enchanting illustration though.
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