Johnnie Anderson's Botany and Zoology Drawings

Johnnie Anderson's Botany and Zoology Drawings / 28-page booklet, 7 x 10 inches, published by Public Collectors

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Another drawing-focused publication from Public Collectors—this time dedicated to a young man's Botany and Zoology homework, circa 1931. From the back cover:

Johnnie Anderson was the father of a late relative of my spouse Jen Blair. I believe that he made these drawings as a student in 1931. He would have been 19 or 20 years old at the time, and was taking Botany and Zoology classes at University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire.

I uncovered these drawings while cleaning out the home and storage units of my spouse’s late aunt and uncle, which contained the belongings of other relatives that predeceased them. A binder containing these drawings—as well as numerous writings about the specimens featured—was found in a banker box, well-preserved and likely hidden from eyes and light for decades.

Johnnie Anderson’s drawings are so meticulous that at first glance, I assumed they might have been printed classroom materials. Upon closer inspection I realized that they were hand drawn with great care and patience. In addition to these drawings, the binder contained a carefully mounted and neatly labeled frog skeleton (reproduced on the inside front cover). I have chosen to believe that these drawings were made from direct observation and not copied from other illustrations.

— Marc Fischer / Public Collectors