Lot 114: TWINING, Elizabeth (1805-1889). Illustrations of the Natural Order of Plants . London, vol. I: Joseph Cundall, vol. II: Day and Son, 1849-1855.

TWINING, Elizabeth (1805-1889). Illustrations of the Natural Order of Plants. London, vol. I: Joseph Cundall, vol. II: Day and Son, 1849-1855.

2 volumes, 2° (492 x 317mm). 160 hand-coloured lithographic plates, heightened with gum arabic, by and after Twining, printed by Day and Son. (Some light even browning to plate backgrounds, very occasional soiling or marginal spotting, title and dedication to vol. I slightly torn along inner margin, same title also a little soiled and with short tear at outer margin, title and preliminary leaf to vol. II spotted and lightly creased.) Contemporary black half morocco, gilt edges (rebacked preserving old gilt spines, rubbed).

FIRST EDITION. The plants are arranged by families according to de Candolle's classification, each plate including between two and seven members of one family to produce fascinating groupings seldom seen together: British with Amazonian, Italian with Himalayan, etc. A philanthropist and educator as well as a botanist, Elizabeth Twining was a member of the famous tea merchant family. This is the most remarkable of her botanical works, the plates showing fine artistic sensibility on one hand and a careful regard for scientific accuracy on the other. A second edition in octavo, with the plates reduced and printed in colours, appeared in 1868. Great Flower Books p. 78; Nissen BBI 2018; Pritzel 9591; Stafleu and Cowan 15.410.

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