British Phaenogamous Botany; Or, Figures And Descriptions Of The Genera Of British Flowering Plants by Baxter, William - 1843

Very good set of this fine British flora, the first to rival James Sowerby's English Botany from 1791. Complete with 509 hand-coloured copperplates engraved by Charles Mathews after botanical illustrations by Mathews, Isaac Russel (an Oxford glass painter) and William Alfred Delamotte. The plates were reputedly hand-coloured by Baxter's daughters and daughter-in-law. George Claridge Druce in The Flora of Berkshire, 1897, writes, "The plates of this work, although of unequal merit, are in many cases very excellent and possess a special value, because each figure is drawn from an individual plant, the locality or origin of which is usually stated."First issued in parts from 1832, and later in book form from 1834. This set states Second Edition, 1834, on the title page of Vol. I, but all other volumes are 1st edition: Vol. II 1835, Vol. III 1837, Vol. IV 1839, Vol. V 1840, and Vol. VI 1843. Six volumes bound in 3.William Baxter (1787-1871), was a British botanist, author, curator and head gardener of the… Read More

Oxford: Parker, Whittaker, Treac, 1834. Hardcover. Very Good. . 6-volume set, complete. Uniformly bound in half leather with marbled boards. Some scuffing to leather, spines faded but still looks good on a shelf. Morrocan leather title labels with gilt lettering intact, gilt vibrant. Original owner's contemporary inscription on front pastedowns. Light shelf/reading wear. Pages clean, NO foxing or markings. Boards clean, bindings sturdy. Over 500 hand-colored plates.