Lot pagina - Van De Wiele Auctions

Figures of the most Beautiful, Useful and Uncommon Plants described in the Gardeners Dictionary, exhibited on three hundred copper plates, accurately engraved after drawings taken from nature, with the characters of their flowers and seed-vessels, drawn w

London
Rivington, Millar ea
1760

Folio, 2 vol. First edition, second issue. 300 cont. hand-coloured engraved plates, occasional light offsetting and dampst. in some margins of vol. 1, some minor browning, contemporary calf gilt, rebacked, slightly rubbed

Miller in the preface stated his intention of publishing one figure of a plant for every known genus, but abandoned this in favour of ""... those Plants only, which are either curious in themselves, or may be useful in Trades, Medicine, &c. including the Figures of such new Plants as have not been noticed by any former Botanists"". These include some plates from drawings of William Houston, the plant collector, who sent Miller a number of Mexican and WEST INDIAN specimens. The handsome plates were engraved from drawings by Georg Dionysus Ehret (16), John Miller, Richard Lancake and other. They include several examples of partial colour-printing, the engraving being printed in green and/or sepia, and finished by hand.

Provenance:
John Wilmer + Henry B.H. Beaufoy. References: Nissen 1378; Great Flower Books, p. 68; Dunthorne 209; Henrey 1098; Hunt 566 (first issue); Stafleu TL 2 6059

Botany

MILLER, Philip