English Botany; or, coloured figures of British plants, with their essential characters, synonyms, and places of growth. To which will be added occasional remarks

London: privately, for the Author, 1790-1806.

The pre-eminent illustrated study of English botany, this work provided a complete compendium of the plants native to Great Britain, providing characteristics of plants, places of growth, as well as commentary and remarks on flowers. First Edition. Complete in 36 uniform volumes. Bound in contemporary half-calf over marbled boards with red title labels and volume number to spines. 8vo (10 x 6.25 ins). Corner and edges of boards rubbed, also occasionally the heads of the spines. Foxing to endpapers and occ. to margins of the plates. A remarkable work, the most comprehensive guide to plants, trees, lichens and sea weeds found in the British Isles. Contains a total of 2,592 hand-coloured, copper plate engravings, including 3 fold-outs, each placed opposite its descriptive text, and followed by a blank opening. The first volume has Sowerby's preface to the whole work, and a dedication leaf. It is inscribed in hand on the first endpaper. "Enid Moore Taylor, Given to her this day July 1st, 1835 by her affectionate uncle Eric Moore". Each volume has the titlepage, and three indexes to its contents: alphabetical, systematical, and the index of English names. The final volume ends with an extensive and unpaginated section of general indexes to the whole work. "Sir James Edward Smith wrote the descriptions, except those for pls. 16-18 by George Shaw, but his name does not appear on the first three titles [i.e. title pages]" (Hunt). "Unlike other flower painters of the time, whose work tended toward pleasing wealthy patrons, he worked directly with scientists", Huber M. Walsh (2003). NB. Our photographs for this set only show the first five volumes, but rest assured that all subsequent vols are present and in identical condition.