J. Duke | The compleat florist, London, 1747, coloured plates, contemporary calf gilt

Books from the Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven

J. Duke

The compleat florist. London: for J. Duke, to be sold by J. Robinson, 1747

8vo (232 x 136mm.), hand-coloured engraved frontispiece and title-page, 99 engraved plates, mostly hand-coloured, with a manuscript index by William Shenstone at back of volume, contemporary calf gilt, gilt edges, binding repaired with new lettering-piece

A collection of flower plates, reprinted from the 1740 first edition, containing a sentence of information about each plant, regarding propagation or growing conditions or mentioning the garden in which it is growing. In this copy the plates are arranged by flowering month rather than by plate number. The price of an uncoloured copy was 5 shillings, and a coloured copy cost 15 shillings; a manuscript note by C.G. Davies on the front flyleaf states that this copy was coloured by William Shenstone (1714-1763), the poet and landscape gardener, who also wrote the index.

PROVENANCE:

William Shenstone (1714-1763), Leasowes, Worcestershire; Mrs Whitehead (the daughter of Richard Jago, a friend of Shenstone's); C.G. Davies (note on flyleaf)

LITERATURE:

ESTC N55522 (listing 6 copies); Henrey 568; Nissen BBI 554; cf. Hunt 391 (1740 edition)