John Hill | A general natural history, 1748-1752, 3 volumes, coloured plates

John Hill

A general natural history: or, new and accurate descriptions of the animals, vegetables, and minerals of the different parts of the world. London: Thomas Osborne, 1748-1752

FIRST EDITION, 3 volumes, folio (350 x 220mm.), sectional half-titles, folding letterpress table, 56 hand-coloured engraved plates, contemporary russia gilt, browning and spotting, binding worn at joints and extremities

Sir John Hill (1716?-1775) was a renowned botanist who published a number of works including The Vegetable System, one of the first natural history books to utilise the Linnaean system of classification. This popular work comprises volumes addressing vegetables, animals and minerals: 'as they were printed, published and often bound uniformly the three volumes are sometimes considered to comprise one work; Hill himself, however, makes it perfectly clear that each volume is in itself complete without the others' (Lisney).

LITERATURE:

Anker 210; Freeman 1672; Henrey 809; Johnston 420; Nissen ZBI 1939; Stafleu TL2 2767

PROVENANCE:

William Charles de Meuron, 7th Earl Fitzwilliam (1872-1943), Wentworth Woodhouse, armorial bookplate