Titford, William Jowett

Handcolored aquatint frontispiece depicting an arrangement of tropical fruits in a basket, handcolored engraved vignette on dedication leaf. Illustration: 17 handcolored engraved plates (numbered 1–17).  

6 parts in one volume, 4to (11 1/2 x 9 1/8 in.; 294 x 230 mm). Binding: Contemporary diced calf, spine gilt in six compartments, covers with decorative gilt borders, gilt dentelles, gilt edges. Provenance: John Caley (contemporary ownership signature on flyleaf).



Minor spotting and offsetting. Extremities and joints of binding rubbed, front hinge cracked.  

De Belder sale 356; Dunthorne 306; Nissen 1986; Plesch sale 757; Pritzel 9370

Minor spotting and offsetting. Extremities and joints of binding rubbed, front hinge cracked.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The first edition of Titford's exquisite color-plate botanical work, one of the earliest works to depict American plant species.

Born in Jamaica in 1784, Titford was an accountant and botanist who, after being reared in London, returned to the Caribbean and traveled extensively in North America prior to the publication of Sketches (the author's only known publication). Throughout his travels, Titford collected seeds and plants, which he sent to the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in London, together with over fifty drawings and a description of each type classified under the Linnaean taxonomy. He was later elected a corresponding member of the society, as stated in the title-page of Sketches, which was issued in London in six parts between 1811 and 1812. The list of subscribers (lacking in the present copy) included the prince regent, Louis XVIII of France, the Royal Institution, the Royal Society of Arts, and many eminent botanists in England, Jamaica, and North America. The Critical Review of November 1811 described the first parts of Sketches as "a most excellent work for persons learning botany and all things pertaining to natural history and associated sciences" (DNB).