Edwards's Botanical Register, Vol. 18: or Ornamental Flower-Garden and Shrubbery

Very good copy of Volume XVIII (18) of Edwards's Botanical Register, 1832

Complete with all 88 (8 folding) hand-coloured botanical plates (No. 1477-1564).

Most by talented woman botanical artist Miss Sarah Drake (59), the others by J.T. Hart and (his sister?) M. Hart, William Herbert, John Lindley (1) and Charles Morgan Curtis (1).

Includes many new exotic species of showy orchids (13), as well as camellia, aster, acacia, air plant, azalea, fuchsia, delphinium, lotus, cactus, pears, etc. Sarah Drake's dynamic and graceful flowers really stand out here compared to the rather stiff and angular designs of the other artists.

The Botanical Register was launched by Sydenham Edwards in 1815 following his departure as main illustrator to William Curtis's Botanical Magazine. Edwards edited the magazine and drew most of the plates in 14 volumes until his death in 1828. John Lindley then took over as editor on a further 19 volumes under the title Edwards's Botanical Register from 1829 to 1847. By 1832, Miss Drake had become the main illustrator of the magazine, and she would go on to draw over 1,000 plates.

Miss Drake or Sarah Anne Drake (1803-1857) was born in Skeyton, Norfolk in 1803. As a young woman, she studied in Paris. In 1830, Lindley invited Miss Drake to live with his family in Acton Green. She soon became Lindley's artist-in-residence and also governess to his three children. She was active artistically for about 15 years, from 1831 to 1847, and was so prolific and talented that she ranks with the most admired artists of her time. She drew or painted approximately 1,300 new plants (including 350 orchids) and engraved 60 of them. She also illustrated James Bateman's monumental Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala with Augusta Withers from 1837. Her botanical career ended when the Botanical Register ceased publication in 1847. She then returned to Norfolk and married John Hastings, a local farmer. She died from diabetes in 1857 at age 54.

John Lindley (1799-1865) was first Professor of Botany at the University of London, Assistant Secretary to the Royal Horticultural Society, editor of the Botanical Register and a talented botanical artist in his own right. His many books include Rosarum Monographia 1820, The Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants 1835, Ladies Botany (illustrated by Sarah Drake) 1838 , Sertum Orchidaceum 1838, Paxton's Flower Garden 1853, etc.

Full dark green morocco binding, title, year and decoration in gilt on spine, 1cm chip missing from top right corner of spine, scuffed along the hinges, marks and stains on the boards, but binding solid. Marble endpapers, previous owners' names "Catherine C. FitzGerald 1852" and "George Strickland" in ink on front fly leaf. Some faint offsetting from the plates to text and vice versa, but most botanical plates bright and clean with vibrant hand colour.