Curtis, William | His monumental work on London's flora

Curtis, William

Flora Londinensis: Plates and Descriptions of Such Plants as Grow in the Environs of London. London: Printed for and sold by the Author and B. White & Sons, [1775]-1777-1798 [vols. 1-3] & London: Richard Taylor for George Graves, 1819-1828 [vols. 4-5]

5 volumes, folio (465 x 281 mm). Title-page of vol. 1 with engraved vignette, 650 (on 647 leaves) handcolored engraved plates after Sydenham Edwards, James Sowerby, William Kilburn, George Graves, and William Hooker, one handcolored lithographic plate (pl.132 in vol. 4) by Pellitier and printed by C. Hullmandel, with the preliminaries excepting the second subscribers list and the observations on grasses, original grey printed wrappers bound in at end of vol. 5; small repair to blank fore-margin of "Agaricus fimetarius" plate, repaired tears to text leaves for "Dipsacus sylvestris" and "Sisymbrium Sylvestre," the latter also with a chip to the lower margin, repair to the verso of the "Menyanthes trifoliata" plate, pencil to lower blank margin of "Salix Triandra" plate, text leaf facing "Nuphar Lutea" plate tipped onto plate and extended beyond lower margin of text block with the lower margin folded (possibly supplied), a few leaves in vol. 3 possibly supplied from different paper stock, overall some light browning and spotting, occasional light offsetting. Vols. 1-3 in contemporary diced russia, spines with raised bands in 6 compartments, second, third, and fourth gilt lettered, other compartments ruled in gilt, boards ruled in gilt, marbled endpapers; rubbed at extremities, spines scuffed with wear to head and tail, corners of one volume repaired, others exposed. Vols. 4-5 bound in modern brown morocco by Bonniers bokbinderi signed and dated 1953, gilt tooled to match, marbled endpapers.

The Earl Spencer-Johannishus Bibliotek set of first editions.

This remarkable work was first issued between 1775 and 1798, and was designed to be bound in two volumes with 435 plates on 432 leaves. A second edition, published from 1817 and 1828, was virtually a new work, being a greatly enlarged edition with over 200 new plates added and the text re-written by Hooker. The present set constitutes the first editions of all five volumes.

While the work was intended to be a substantial survey of native plants and fungi within a ten-mile radius of London, it eventually grew to encompass specimens growing in the south of England generally. The Flora Londinensis was the first comprehensive color-plate work on English flora, and paid close attention to the characteristics of each plant in order to classify them correctly. Many of the plates show the details of the plant at each stage of its growth and development, rather than a snapshot at one particular stage. 

Curtis (1746-1799) trained as an apothecary and was working at the Chelsea Physic Garden when he began publishing his monumental work. It proved something of a financial burden to him, so he then started his Botanical Magazine in 1787 which focused on more ornamental and imported plants for gardeners.

REFERENCE:

Great Flower Books p.54; Henrey III, 595, cf.597; Hunt 650; Nissen BBI 439, cf.440; Stafleu 1286

PROVENANCE:

Vols. 1-3: Earl Spencer (Althorp armorial bookplate to pastedowns) — with Sotheran's (manuscript notes dated 1864 and 1894). Vols. 1-5: Johannishus Bibliotek (armorial bookplate to pastedowns, dated 1952) — Christie's London, 18 May 1998, lot 46 (undesignated consider)