Ann Pratt (1806-1893)

Anne Pratt was a well-known author of popular botanical texts in the nineteenth century. She was a prolific writer, producing over 20 books with handsome and accurate illustrations. She was praised by Queen Victoria who asked that copies of all of Pratt’s work be sent to her for the use of her children. In poor health since her earliest years with a disability, she grew up mainly confined indoors. It is likely that her only source of income was her botanical writing. She began volume one telling her readers that “one of the chief objects is to aid those who have not hitherto studied Botany.” As was typical for the Victorian era, Pratt downplayed her work. In Flowers and Their Associations, she “hopes these pages may not be unacceptable.” Although her books were intended mostly for young people, they appealed to a wider audience. Her descriptions included folklore and the medicinal uses of plants. Pratt’s contributions were minimized by contemporary critics as “easily digested science with miscellaneous romantic flower lore.” Printed with the new technique of chromolithography, a relatively cheap color printing process for the mass market, her books had a far-reaching influence.