English Botany or Coloured Figures of British Plants With Their Essential Characters, Synonyms and Places or Growth

plate size 6" x 3" -15.2 x 7.6 cm. paper size 9" x 5-1/2" -22.86 x 5.97 cm. Minor losses to one edge where previously bound but decent margins for matting/framing, a couple of light spots to margins generally in very good condition.

James Sowerby was an English Naturalist who published works on Botany, Mineralogy and Paleontology. He achieved widespread success not only as an illustrator but as a recognized scientist, classifying mineral descriptions and identifying botanical species. His illustrations were included in James Edward Smith's "A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland Hand", "Mineral Conchology of Great Britain " and Curtis's "Flora Londinensis". His English Botany was published in 267 monthly parts over a period of over 23 years.

These coloured copper plate engravings are of his lesser known series of Cryptogams or flowerless plants which reproduce by spores rather than seeds, and include algae, seaweed, funghi and mosses. The hand coloured engravings are delicate and ethereal in nature, and are wonderfully varied in nature.

$30 each