English Botany: or, coloured Figures of British Plants, with the essential characters, synonyms, and places of growth.

THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE ILLUSTRATED FLORA OF GREAT BRITAIN 

SMITH, Sir James Edward; James SOWERBY [Illus.]

English Botany: or, coloured Figures of British Plants, with the essential characters, synonyms, and places of growth. 

London: Printed by Richard Taylor for the Proprietor, C. E. Sowerby, [1832]-1846

8vos., 12 volumes; rebound by S. Clutton in February 1935 (with her name in black ink to the ffeps) in half black morocco over marbled paper-covered boards [rebacked, and with new endpapers/paste downs], single ruled in gilt along edges and spine, the latter additionally titled in second compartment and with volume number to fourth; fully collated, each volume with title page, text and index followed by a grand total of a whopping 2744 individually hand coloured copper-plate engravings of British flowers, ferns, fruit trees, grasses, mosses, orchids, and a multitude of all other British plants, printed both horizontally and vertically, several folding; some plates showing cross sections of stem and/or floral parts, as well as berries and fruiting bodies (full collation and condition report available upon request); a little scattered foxing throughout, occasionally affecting plates, mostly confined to the earlier volumes, which become increasingly cleaner as the set progresses; some minor marking and scratches, printed on different paper stocks, affecting quality of print and colouring, occasional short closed or finger tears, not affecting images, and occasional offsetting from plates; some of the hand colouring to Vol XII a little crude, but very good to near-fine copies all, contained in four matching slipcases comprised of three volumes per slipcase. Provenance: directly from the Clutton family. 

Second edition, ‘arranged according to the Linnaean method, with the descriptions shortened, and occasional remarks added’. The second edition became known as the ‘small edition’, and here contains all of the additional supplementary plates as called for, as well as one or two duplicates. A previous owner has taken the liberty of adding notes on the work of the colourist, and there are also a number of contemporary handwritten notes of Latin names now bound in, as well as several pressed samples (see full collation). 

A stunning compendium of British plants, which range from the humblest grass to the majestic orchid, each treated with delicacy, intricacy and care. All of the familiar daffodils, snowdrops, poppies, and other hedgerow flowers are of course included, as well as the more obscure flora which cover the UK, and several volumes are devoted to the study of the differing mosses, lichens and algae, together with details of the fruiting and seeding bodies and root systems, which are cross-sectioned in many of the plates in minute detail. Vol VII contains a comprehensive guide to British Orchids. 

The idea to publish an extensive guide to British plants was first formulated by James Sowerby in 1790. Sowerby (1757–1822) studied at the Royal Academy and decided to specialise in botanical paintings relatively early, his first major commission being as a contributor to William Curtis’ Flora Londinensis, which took as its subject the plants found in the vicinity of London during the 18th century. Expanding outwards, Sowerby began in earnest, and paired with the English botanist James Edward Smith, who had just two years prior founded the Linnean society. Sowerby illustrated, edited, and published the work, while Smith was responsible for the equally important task of providing the technical descriptions. Although initially reluctant to associate his name with the work due to Sowerby’s ‘low social status’, Smith later insisted on being credited as the author, and indeed his name appears here ahead of Sowerby’s, and in larger letters. 

‘English Botany’ proved an overwhelming success, and became famous as the most comprehensive illustrated flora of Great Britain. Many of the included plants received their debut in print, including a number of mosses and lichens, described and illustrated here for the very first time. 

Given the fact that this publication was issued in 267 monthly parts between 1790 and 1814, first edition sets are a genuine rarity, with only four known to exist in private collections. This, the second edition, contains a further 168 additional plates, and was published on higher-quality paper stock, as well as with improved print quality due to the use of acid-free inks. The second edition was further arranged by the botanist Charles Johnson (1791-1880), lecturer on Botany at Guy’s Hospital, whose name first appears on the title page of volume eight. Second editions are not hen’s teeth, but are still rare complete in commerce, with the exact print run unknown. 

*Please note that this is an extremely large and heavy publication, and as such additional shipping costs will be required*