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William Henry Prestele Papers
Content Description
The William Henry Prestele Papers consist of watercolors, pencil sketches, tracings, notes, papers, plant specimens, and an album cover. The collection contains materials created as Prestele worked on illustrations intended for a monograph on American native grapes by Thomas Volney Munson.
Dates
- Creation: 1889-1890s
Conditions Governing Access
Contact Special Collections for access.
Biographical Sketch
William Henry (Wilhelm Heinrich) Prestele (1838-1895) was appointed the first artist of the Pomology Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1887. Prestele was assigned to create illustrations for a book on native grapes of America, written by Thomas Volney Munson, which was commissioned by the Secretary of Agriculture. The manuscript and plates were completed, but the book was never published.
Munson wrote in his 1909 publication, titled Foundations of American Grape Culture, "The manuscript for this monograph, and accurate life-size colored plates of all our native grape species, were prepared and delivered, but from lack of sufficient appropriation by Congress the work remains unpublished."
Total Size of Collection
12 boxes (1 box, 20.5 x 16.5 x 1.5; 2 boxes, 22.25 x 15.25 x 2; 2 boxes, 24 x 21 x 3; 3 boxes, 15.25 x 11.75 x 3; 4 boxes, 29 x 23 x 3)
12 Linear Feet (12 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Genres
agricultural art and memorabilia
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the National Agricultural Library Special Collections Repository
National Agricultural Library
10301 Baltimore Avenue
Room 309
Beltsville Maryland 20705 USA
301-504-5876