Professional Documents
Culture Documents
NellyRoberts
Trrouas ArrEN OoEn recounts the life story of the first and longest
serving RHS orchid artist on the 50th anniversary of her death
T,IAGINETHE CONTRAST orchid nurseries ofthe day and knolvn paint orchids granted an Award of
s.hen members of the Royal as the Orchid King, was one of the Merit or a First Class Certificate. As
Horticulrural Society's Orchid committee's .11 members. Individually she watched, the committee granted
Comrnittee gathered in the Drill Hali and collectively, they represented the Awards of Merit to Lzel ia Lucy Ingram
at StJames, \Westminster, for their learned old guard ofthe orchid world. (C att Iq, a Lucy I ngr arn), M o rn o da b a dia
meeting on 12 Jantary 1897. Harry Joining them for the firsr rimc was ' Lute:rm', P ap b i op e di h m Leb attdyanu n.r
Ve itch, who many regarded as the NelhRoberts, avoungpainter, urknown and Paph iopedi lum Llliarr Greenwood.
most outstanding horticulrurist of and unheralded in the artistic or orchid As Nelly left the Drill Hall to take the
the time, was the chairman. Sir Trevor communities. Aged just 2,1, Nelly llowers home to produce the
Lawrence, RHS president! was a vrce attended the meeting as the committee's paintings, neither she nor the other
chairman. Frederick Sancler, owncr first artist. She had been hired for a members of the committee could
ofone ofthe largest, ifnot the largest, probationary period of six months to have imagined that she would servc
32 March 2009
OithidReview
as the RHS orchid arrist for 56 years. 50th anniversary ofthe death ofthis paintings, she remains one of the
During that time she would produce remarkable woman. Because of her importaat but under-chronicled
4,500 to 5,000 paintings of awarded fascination with orchids and work figures in orchid history.
orchids (plus countless more on for the Royal Horticultural Society,
private comrnission), be awarded the she avoided the fate of so many other Familylife
RHS Gold Medal and Silver Veitch female Victorian artists who laboured Nelly Roberts was bom on 15 October
MemorialMedal, have the satinpink in obscuriry, many never receiving 1872,the fust of four children of
C att Iey a N ellrc Ftob erts and O dont o - recognition for their effons, no Ifilliam and Rebecca Roberts. Her
glosnm Opheron'Nellie Roberrs' matter how talented they might father, a jeweller, was from Hempnall,
named for her, and have avolume of have been. Even so andwith more Norfolk, and operated a clock, watch
The Orcbid Rwieu dedicated to her. than halfa century ofservice and an and repair shop at 72 Loughborough
This year, 29 March marks the extensive body ofofficial and private Road in Brixton, then in Surrey and
March 2009
33
ORCHID ART
34 I-
Oithid Review
March 2009
OfthidReview
orchids for Sir Trer.or, but there is no owners of award plants as well as ones
record that Nellv met either of them. painted as aresult ofadvertrsments I I71n Poate, East Suney FamilyHistory
There is also no record ofwhether she placed in Tbe Orchid ReaieTD or Society, personal email, 8Jun, 2000
Nellv pa-rnted fbr Sir Trevor before requests she received from some of 2 General Register Office, England,
or afte r she painted fbr Measures at the most prominent orchid growers birth certificate for Nelly Roberts
Cambridge Lodge. It is difficult not in England. One suchgrowerwas 3 Baptisms solemnised in the Parish
ofStJohn, Brirton, in the County of
to wonder rvhat role Sir Trevor, the SirJeremiah Colman, who became
Surrey in the year 1872173. &amberh,
RHS president a:rd Orchid Committee vice-chairman of the Orchid
Surrey, 1872) Entry no. 1827, page 229
vice-chairman, might have played in Committee in 1909 and chairman 4 ITyr Poate, East Surrey Family History
the Committee's decision to hire Nelly. inl9l4.ln1928, Nellywas awarded a Society, personal email, 8Jun 2000
silver medal for watercolour paintings 5 Griffiths, M (2 002) Orchid:: fron
A paid post is agreed oforchids in his collection that she the Archives of tbe Roual Horticultural
Regardless ofwhether Measures or displayed at the Roval Counties SaczetT.Scriptum, London
(r Kramer,J ftonicultural consultant).
Lawrence was the greater influence, Agricultural Society Show in Gatton
Letter to the author. 6 Aug 2000
the Committee decided in the waning Park, Reigate. The exhibit was of
7 Street Directory, Brixton and
months of 1896 to commission her on scientific interest because ofthe way Clapham. Lambeth fuchives
a six-month trial basis beginningwith Nelly arranged her work - paintings 'Watson,
8 W & Bean, S( (1890)
its l2January 1897 meeting. Keeping of species were on one side and images Orchids, Their Cuhure and Mawgement.
their promise to pay a percentage ofhybrids that had been raised from Revised byHJ Chapman (1903).
ofthe expense for an artist, in the themwere on the other.(lo) 9 Hermans,C&Hermans,J
(2003) The life and times of the Royal
beginning the committee members Nelly, at least occasionally, also
contributed more than a thfud ofNelly's Horticultural Sociery Orchid
painted flowers other than orchids.
Committee. In Hermans,J & Cribb, P
salary, a total of S37 lls the fust year, In1922 the Orchid Committee's (eds) Proceedings of the htrEean Orcbid
and s38 8s the second year.(e) It is programme for painting awarded Conference and Shozr. EOC. London
unclear from the information avai-lable flowers was extended to all award- 10 Th e Orch id Revieu,Jul 1928,
whether this was Nelly Roberts' winning plants. That year Nelly Vol.36 No. 421:193
annual salary or just the portion paid painted at least two non-orchid awards 1l Boyle, L (1952) Out lY/ut, Growing
bymembers of the Committee. It did (Primula malac o ides'P rtncess Marf Cynbidiun Orchids and other Flouers.
not take Nelly long to convince the The Story ofEl Ranchero Rinconada:169.
and, Gladiohr'Perfect Peace) granted
Times-Mirror Press, Los Angeles
members that they had found their bythe RHS Floral Committee. Borh
12 Black, PM (1979 Beautifiil Orchift .
artist, and they hired her firll time. are signed in her characteristic style,
Ham.lyn, London
The members found her award with the initials NR, and are in the 13 The Orchid Reviea,Jarruary,
paintings useful on many occasions. Wisley Herbarium collection. 1977:20 0rol. 85 No. 1003)
and they are still used in Orchid 14 Journal ofthe Royal Horticuhural
Committee meetings today. The person behind tJre paintings Soc i e4,, 19 54t 163 N ol. 7 9)
Nelly apparently lived at the house 15 \7ilma Rittershausen, former
Recognition for her paintings editor, Tbe Orc bid Rea ieu, letterc
atT2Lotglborough Road for her
to the author, 13 March 2001, and
At a Comrnittee meeting on 3lJuly entire life. She painted flowers for the
15 September 2000
1900, chaired by Veitch and attended Committee in a small, neat but cold l6 Margaret Stevens, president,
bv 12 members, all4l5 of her award room. In the only known photograph Society of Botanical Artists, personal
paintings to date were spread out for ofher, she is wearing glasses and emal,,27 Sep2007
nrembers to inspect. In appreciation a cardigan and sitting at her artist's 17 Celia Smith, Supervisor of london
oiher faithfulness to botanica.l table as she paints a Caxleya rlliance Sorough ot Lambeth yrolects
Borough ofLambeth Projects and
rccuracv and the excellence ofher flower in the manner attributed to Memorials, personal email, 26 Sep 2007
l{arch 2009 37
ORCHID ART
38 March 2009