
The Oluna Ceska and Adolf Ceska Collection is comprised of botanical illustrations and scientific illustrations by Oldriska (Oluna) Ceska (1938-2022). The drawings, which Ceska created in both black and white and colour, largely highlight flora from southern Vancouver Island. Seeking scientific accuracy, Ceska included details such as berries, flowers, leaves, rhizomes, roots, and other features necessary for identification. Ceska’s illustrations are featured in several publications, including Nancy J. Turner and Adam F. Szczawinski's "Wild Coffee and Tea Substitutes of Canada" (Ottawa: National Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada, 1978) and "Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada" (Ottawa: National Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada, 1979), as well as Illustrated Flora of British Columbia (1998-2002).
The illustrations in this collection are from both the Oluna Ceska and Adolf Ceska Fonds at the University of Victoria Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives and the Government of British Columbia, who commissioned illustrations for Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, a publication issued in eight volumes between 1998 and 2002 and edited by G.W. Douglas, G.B. Straley, D.V. Meidinger, and J. Pojar. The volumes describe and illustrate the flowering plants and vascular non-flowering plants, both native and naturalized within the borders of British Columbia.
Oluna Ceska (1938-2022) was a scientist and artist who emigrated from Prague (Czech Republic) to Victoria (British Columbia, Canada) in 1969. Ceska worked as a lab assistant and research associate at the University of Victoria Department of Biology. Ceska was a founding member of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society (SVIMS).
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Works (109)
Title | Date Created | Date Added | |
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approximately 1998 | 2023-10-20 | |
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approximately 1998 | 2023-10-20 | |
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August 2000 to November 2002 | 2024-07-31 | |
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November 2002 to May 2005 | 2024-09-17 | |
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March 2005 | 2024-10-17 | |
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May 2005 to November 2007 | 2024-09-17 | |
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March 2006 | 2024-10-17 | |
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March 2007 | 2024-10-17 | |
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November 2007 to October 2010 | 2024-09-17 | |
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March 2008 | 2024-10-17 |