Walter Hood Fitch

Walter Hood Fitch (28 February 1817 – 14 January 1892) was a botanical illustrator, born in Glasgow, Scotland, who executed some 10,000 drawings for various publications.

[1] His work in colour lithograph, including 2700 illustrations for Curtis's Botanical Magazine, produced up to 200 plates per year.

After 1841 Fitch was the sole artist for all official and unofficial publications issued by Kew; his work was paid for by Hooker personally.

[7] Fitch's important works include his illustrations for William Hooker's A century of orchidaceous plants[8] (1849), and for James Bateman's A Monograph of Odontoglossum[9] (1864–74).

His renown as a botanical illustrator was such that his obituary in Nature stated "... his reputation was so high and so world-wide that it is unnecessary to say much on this point.