Mushroom Illustrations from the 19th-20th Century


Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
I’ve been trying to curate a post with vintage mushroom illustrations for a while now and finally got around to it this weekend. I found some awesome scientific illustrations from the 19th century book, ‘Champignons et truffes (mushrooms and truffles)’ and ‘Minnesota Mushrooms‘, published in 1910.
I love including mushroom images in my artsy projects, but they’re also fascinating to learn about. Keep reading to discover more free illustrations and other cool mushroom-related stuff.

What Can We Learn from Vintage Mushroom Images?

Want more? View the entire gallery of Vintage Mushroom Illustrations

Lots of stuff!
For starters, you get a peak into how science was being studied and visualized in the 19th and 20th century. But scientific illustration didn’t end there.
Even with advancements in photography, the art of scientific illustration is still very much alive.
Believe it or not, there are limits to what photography can do for research, but scientific illustration can fill in the gaps by illustrating processes, extinct specimens, anatomy, and highlighting more specific subjects.
Vintage mushroom illustrations are also fantastic resources for learning how to draw. In doing so, you sharpen your observation skills and eye for detail.

More Free Mushroom-Related Resources


Need some creative inspiration for your next mushroom-related project? Check out the following links and tutorials to inspire your mushroom craft, book cover, video game art, classroom projects, and more:

What Can You Create with Mushroom Illustrations?

I have friends that are really into sustainable mushroom design, so these illustrations would make an excellent card or print-on-demand mug for gifts.
Here are a few other ideas to consider:

  • Mushroom shrinky-dink jewelry
  • Geeky scientific gift wrap
  • Print-on-demand wall art
  • Note cards and stationery
  • Unique Christmas tree ornaments
  • Vintage scientific illustration scrapbook

Stay tuned for more vintage illustrations! As always, you can check the archives section for past posts and sourcing information.
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