Linnaeus, Carl (1707-1778).

Dibner 27; Horblit 68a; PMM 192; Soulsby 39; Stafleu TL2 4709

first edition of one of the most important books in the history of science and “virtually the inauguration of the classification of plants and animals” (Grolier/Horblit). this copy with an engraved plate by ehret, one of only four copies known, not mentioned in the standard reference works.

The first edition of the Systema naturae was printed at the expense of Joannes Fridericus Gronovius and Isaac Lawson for private circulation. In a letter dated 19 December 1735 to Sir Hans Sloane, presenting one copy of Linnaeus’s work to the British Museum and a second to the Royal Society, they explain that Linnaeus “was so kind to communicate to us his Systema Natura, which we sent to the press at our own expense, with an intention only to have a few copys; but at the request of several friends we were determined to communicate it fully (judging it might be agreable) to the Learned world” (reproduced in Soulsby, plate 5).

The present example contains the very rare hand-coloured engraving by Georg Dionys Ehret, dated 1736, entitled “Methodus plantarum sexualis in sistemate naturae descripta”, in which he illustrates Linnaeus’ method of classifying plants according to their stamens. only three other copies of this plate are known, one of which is inserted in Linnaeus' own copy of the Systema in the Hagströmer Library, Stockholm. Ehret's original drawing for the plate is in the Joseph Banks collection in the British Library. See O. Hagelin, Georg Dionys Ehret and his plate of the Sexual System of Plants in Linnaeus' own copy of Systema naturae (Stockholm, 2000), p.15. Linnaeus was so pleased with the diagram that he had it re-engraved for his Genera plantarum of 1737 (see next lot). To Ehret’s dismay he neglected to credit the artist (see Blunt, p.105).

Although the Systema ran to many editions, the first edition is exceptionally rare and "is known in only about 42 copies" (Hagelin, p.7).