Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Vol. 115: Comprising the Plants of the Royal Gardens of Kew

Very good copy of Volume CXV (45 of the Third series) of Curtis's Botanical Magazine, 1889.

Complete with all 59 (13 folding) hand-coloured botanical plates (No. 7033-7092).

All plates drawn by talented woman botanical artist Matilda Smith, lithographed by John Nugent Fitch.

Includes many exotic flowers and plants including the licuala, pandan, broad thatch and carludovica palm trees, blue bird of paradise flower, prickly pear, sarsaparilla, dragon tree, stapelia, Australian stinging tree and the voodoo lily, Amorphophallus eichleri. There are several orchids including Dendrobium, Sobralia, Spathoglottis, Catasetum, Arachnis, Phaius, etc., as well as new hothouse and garden species of iris, lily, passionflower, delphinium, etc.

The dynamic illustrations of flowers and leaves take up the whole plate, and are crammed with details of the seeds and fruits, and often feature a sketch of the entire plant in the background. The influence of mentor Walter Hood Fitch is undeniable.

Matilda Smith (1854-1926) was a prolific and talented botanical artist who illustrated the Botanical Magazine for over 40 years. Born in Bombay (Mumbai), India, she moved to England as a child and was invited to train as an illustrator at Kew Gardens by her cousin, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker. In addition to the over 2,300 plates she drew for the Botanical Magazine, she also contributed 1,500 plates for Icones Plantarum.

Contemporary olive-green cloth binding with gilt title on spine, embossed boards, a few scuffs to front edge, slight cracking to gutters of endpapers but book block solid. All botanical plates bright and clean with vibrant hand colour, slight dusting and edge toning.

With armorial crest bookplate with Latin motto "Usque Fidelis" (possibly of Indian Army officer Captain Colin Mackenzie?) engraved by Scott & Ferguson, Edinburgh, on front endpaper.