Elements of Botany
London: for the Author [as Prizes in the Royal Botanical Lottery], by J. WHITING, 1812. First Edition. royal Octavo. Item #022200
In two volumes. Vol. 90pp. Vol. II: 73pp. Containing 180 full page botanicals, and 4 charts. One of the most fascinating writers on botany who was influenced by Professor Thomas Martyn who introduced him to Linnaeus’s sexual system for plants. He was appointed lecturer on medical botany in 1796 and began publishing his works on botany all with elaborate engravings. As he began to produce them, the huge costs of illustration and printing began to erode his personal fortune (DNB). He was involved with the Royal Botanical Lottery as a scheme to retrieve his original investment but it failed. The Elements of Botany which was part of the prizes as seen here have various numbers of plates (usually with 176). Here there are 180 thus one of the more complete of the collated editions. Our collation below show each plate, chart or text page in the order they were placed within the two volumes. We have also made note of those plates unnumbered. Bookplate of Robert Williams an attorney who represented the Marquis de Lafayette and his heirs over the Lafayette lands. Williams also belonged to the National Agricultural Society and served as vice-president from 1841-1842 and was considered a scientific farmer. Bound in publisher’s maroon paper covered boards, black leather spine label gilt. Some chipping or wear to spine, short split to upper joint near foot, boards faded. A very good set with virtually no foxing but a bit of off-setting from plates. Volume I, Part I. Classification Half-title, viii, 1-14, [15-17] 18-23, [24] 25-63 [64-65] 66-67 [68] 69-76 [77] 78-81 [82-83 ]84-6 [87] 88-90 [blank] 1-12 engraved chapter divisional leaves. Plates: No printing on versos 65 & 66 (on one leaf) 60, 24, 6,5,4,5,4,3,2, [unnumbered] 27, [2p unumbered] 24,23 [unnumbered] 21,20,19,18,17, [unnumbered 15,14,13, [unnumbered] 11,10,9,8,7,6,4,3,2, [8p. unumbered] 34,33,32,31,30, [7p numbered] 22, [unnumbered] 76,75,19,68,73,67,69,53,57,48,21,51,78,80 [unnumbered] 79, 69,78,74,71,64,49,82,81,50,61,34,35,46,56,43,41,44,42,9,10,46,56,34,35 Volume II, Part II. Terms of the Science No half-title. [1-3]4-73, 13-24 engraved chapter divisional leaves, Plates: [22p unumbered chart, 23,22?, 21,20,19, chart,18, 13,chart,9 ,chart,5,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,4, [unnumbered] 46,56,44,42,9,10,45,58,36,37,63,62,52,47,84,83,23,55,27,28,29,30,32,31,38,37,25,26,13,14,18,17,15,16,11,12,11,12,72,20,7,8.
Price: $600.00