Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, established in 1787 by William Curtis, is the world’s longest-running botanical periodical, renowned for its detailed illustrations and descriptions of ornamental and exotic plants. Curtis, an apothecary and botanist, aimed to combine botany and gardening by providing readers with accurate representations of plants cultivated in gardens, greenhouses, and stoves. The magazine introduced readers to new plant species from around the world, such as the Creeping Cereus from South America and Rudbeckia from America.

The magazine’s illustrations were initially hand-colored copper engravings, with artists like Sydenham Edwards and James Sowerby contributing to the first volume. Over time, the magazine employed notable artists, including Walter Hood Fitch, who became the principal artist for forty years, producing nearly 10,000 drawings. Women artists also played a significant role; Harriet Anne Hooker Thiselton-Dyer created almost 100 illustrations between 1878 and 1880, and Matilda Smith contributed over 2,300 plates between 1878 and 1923.

After Curtis’s death in 1799, the magazine was edited by several notable botanists, including John Sims and William Jackson Hooker, who expanded its scope and maintained its high standards. Under their leadership, the magazine continued to document and illustrate new plant species, serving as a valuable resource for botanists, horticulturists, and gardening enthusiasts.