Imitation of Life: a visual catalogue of the 19th century fruit models in the Santos Museum of Economic Botany in the Adelaide Botanical Garden: a collection of papier mâché models made by Heinrich Arnoldi & co, Gotha, Germany (1856 - 1899). 2013. Many col. illus. 384 p. Hardcover. - 25 x 24.5 cm.

Features 192 apples and 129 pears - presented as an album of portraits - of the many fruits suggested for cultivation in South Australia during the 1860's - 1890's. Stunning photography captures the life -like detail of this intriguing papier - mâché model collection.Showing a lost art form and lost fruit varieties, the book details thefascinating story of this rare German model collection. Adelaide'scollection is one of the largest collections to survive and the onlyknown to exist outside Europe. After spending 60 years in storage thecollection has been reinstated to the permanent display of the SantosMuseum of Economic Botany - one of Adelaide's lesser known treasures.