Alfred Chandler and William Beattie Booth | Camellieae. London, 1831, orange morocco gilt

Alfred Chandler and William Beattie Booth

Illustrations and Descriptions of the Plants which compose the natural order Camellieae, and of the varieties of Camellia Japonica, cultivated in the gardens of Great Britain. London: John and Arthur Arch, 1831

4to (358 x 249 mm.), 44 hand-coloured engraved plates by S. Watts and Weddell after Chandler, heightened with gum arabic, orange morocco gilt, tooled border including trailing flowers, sprays, stars and dots, spine gilt with raised bands in 6 compartments, edges gilt, marbled endpapers, minor paint loss to some plates, some offsetting, occasional foxing, rebacked retaining most of the original spine

A COPY OF THE MOST DESIRABLE ISSUE OF ONE OF FINEST WORKS ON CAMELLIAS, WITH THE FOUR EXTRA PLATES.

The "very fine large plates, beautifully coloured, with opaque pigments" (Dunthorne), were made after drawings by Alfred Chandler (1804-1896), based on specimens from his father's nursery at Vauxhall, and with extensive commentary by William Beatie Booth (1804?-1874). Booth was a leading expert on Camellias and a member of the Horticultural Society. The text includes physical description of camellias, their cultivation, and when the plant first appeared in England. Preparations for a second volume were begun but unfinished. However, this copy is one of a small number that were issued with 4 additional plates, numbered 41-44.

LITERATURE:

Dunthorne 77; Nissen BBI 209; Great Flower Books, p. 51; Stafleu TL2 651

PROVENANCE:

Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby, armorial bookplate and Knowsley Hall shelfmark in ink to front free endpaper; Sir Giles Loder armorial bookplate;