Lot 292
CURTIS, WILLIAM
THE BOTANICAL MAGAZINE; OR, FLOWER-GARDEN DISPLAYED
Rare Books, Maps, Manuscripts & Photographs
Auction: 19 June 2019 at 12:00 BST
Description
In which the most Ornamental Foreign Plants, cultivated in the Open Ground, the Green-House, and the Stove, are accurately represented in their natural colours. London: Stephen Couchman for W. Curtis, 1793-1801 [but plates actually dated 1786-1801]. First edition, first issue, volumes 1-15, 8vo, 567 finely hand-coloured engraved plates, and 1 plain plate, contemporary mottled calf, gilt line border round sides, gilt tooled spines, double black lettering labels, sprinkled edges, armorial bookplates of Ralph Riddell
Footnote
Note: The Botanical Magazine is "the oldest current scientific periodical of its kind with coloured illustrations in the world... in the beauty of production and high standard of its contributions it can claim a unique place" (Patrick Synge. Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society (1948), p.73)
Sydenham Edwards did most of the original drawings, engraved by Sansom, for the early volumes of the magazine. All of the illustrations were drawn from the living plant and "coloured as near to nature, as the imperfections of colouring will admit." Dunthorne calls the Curtis "a delightful work pictorially, never excelled as a periodical, most carefully coloured and a source of lasting interest and information." (p.190).
The colouring of the plates in this set of the highest quality. The colourist took enormous pains to highlight each flower with subtle shades of colour rather than allow the engraving to designate tone and depth.
Though the title-pages date from 1793-1801, the plates are dated from March 1786. According to Stafleu the first edition is determined by the date of the plates: "The plates in the early volumes are dated. These dates can usually be accepted as the dates of publication." (Stafleu. Taxonomic Literature, p.92-93. Hunt 689; Nissen BBI 2350; Dunthorne 99; Henry III, 472; Sitwell. Great Flower Books, 83-84; Blung 184-189)
A very clean finely bound set.