Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Vol. 50

Very good incomplete copy of Volume L (50) or Eighth of the New Series of Curtis's Botanical Magazine, 1823.

With 64 (of 84) hand-coloured botanical plates, six folding (No. 2356-2440). Missing 20 plates: 2364-2369, 2410, 2412-2418, 2427-2432.

Copperplate engravings by John Curtis, a few by Sydenham Edwards, mostly engraved by Weddell.

Includes many exotic flowers and plants such as the Claramond tulip, iris, pineapple, hibiscus, Indian fig, protea, amaryllis, aloe, azalea, banksia, crinum, etc.

John Sims (1749-1831) was an English physician and botanist. Born in Canterbury and educated at the Quaker school in Burford, Oxfordshire, he went on to study medicine at Edinburgh University. He became the first editor of the Botanical Magazine after the death of William Curtis in 1799, and edited the magazine from 1801 to 1826.

John Curtis (1791-1862) was an English entomologist and illustrator. At 16, when an apprentice lawyer, he started collecting and drawing insects, and later learned to etch and engrave copperplates. After drawing some botanical illustrations for the Botanical Magazine, he began his masterwork British Entomology, published from 1824 to 1839 with 770 plates in 16 volumes. The insects were depicted on their host plants, fine botanical illustrations in their own right.

Contemporary quarter leather binding, dry and flaking, spine with five raised bands, chipped orange and burgundy leather title labels, gilt decoration, marble boards, book block solid. All botanical plates bright and clean with vibrant hand colour, a few with slight spotting, dust at the edges.

With the famous decorative bookplate with skull, rococo cartouche, books and flowers of Kenneth Rae, a director at Cobden Sanderson publishing house, engraved by British artist Rex Whistler on front endpaper.