William Curtis (1746-1799)

Flora Londinensis

London: for the author by B. White and Son, 1777-1798, folio, in six volumes, with 432 hand-colored engravings by William Kilburn, James Sowerby, Sydenham Edwards et al., in full tan calf with gilt rule and dentelle, the (later) flat spines with raised bands, red panel and gilt lettering rule and decoration, with marbled endpapers and bookplate of W.P.B. Johnson (crest).
[Hunt 650; Cleveland 532; Nissen BBI 439; Stafleu SL-II 1286; Stearn pp. 88; Pritzel 2005]

This important work by botanist and entomologist William Curtis was issued by subscription in 72 "numbers" of 6 plates each beginning in May 1775. The "numbers" were further divided into 6 "fascicles", each containing 12 "numbers" (i.e. 72 plates). Curtis recommends in the binding instructions that "each fasciculus containing twelve numbers, be bound in boards and not cut at the edges; the plates to be placed in the same order in which they occur in the first index". The first index follows Linnaean numbering, but the binder of the present lot has ignored Curtis' instructions, instead arranging the plates in the order of the second index, in alphabetic order following Linnean taxonomy.
leaf 46.0 x 28.8 cm; overall 47.1 x 30 cm

Provenance: Estate of Richard Anthony Goula, proceeds to benefit the Thistlewood Foundation, Lafayette, Louisiana.