Ernest Wilson was the foremost plant collector of his generation, responsible for introducing over 1,000 species to our gardens in the West. His legacy includes glass plate photographs taken in Sichuan at the beginning of the 20th century. Armed with copies of these images, with the help of Chinese guides and local knowledge, the authors retraced Wilson’s footsteps, taking photographs themselves. The result is a splendid series of ‘then and now’ images which are a key feature of this informative homage to a great plant hunter.