This sumptuously illustrated 384-page book from the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide 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-maché model collection. Showcasing a lost art form and lost fruit varieties, Imitation of Life details the fascinating story ofthis rare German model collection. Adelaide's collection is one ofthe largest collections to survive and the only one known to exist outside of Europe. After spending 60 years in storage the collection has been reinstated to the permanent display of the Santos Museum of Economic Botany – one of Adelaide's lesser known treasures.