Lot 4: BOOTH, William Chandler (ca 1804-1847) and Alfred CHANDLER (1804-1896). Illustrations and Descriptions of the plants which compose the natural order Camellieae, and of the varieties of Cammellia Japonica, cultivated in the gardens of Great Britain

BOOTH, William Chandler (ca 1804-1847) and Alfred CHANDLER (1804-1896). Illustrations and Descriptions of the plants which compose the natural order Camellieae, and of the varieties of Cammellia Japonica, cultivated in the gardens of Great Britain. London: C. Baynes for John & Arthur Arch, 1831. Volume 1 (all published), 2o (366 x 256 mm). 40 hand-colored engraved or lithographic plates, all heightened with gum arabic, after Chandler, 8 by S.Watts, 22 by Weddell, the others unsigned (approximately 16 plates with some craquelure to the gum arabic on the foliage as usual, heaviest on plates 21, 22, 24-29, 31, 39 and 40, some light staining on upper inner margins and browning to margin extremes). 20th-century green half morocco gilt, edges gilt (some wear to joints and edges). Provenance: Wheldon & Wesley, Ltd., London (invoice carbon laid in). FIRST EDITION OF ONE OF THE MOST ATTRACTIVE OF ALL THE WORKS ON CAMELLIAS, with highly finished plates after the drawings of Alfred Chandler. This "handsome and rare" (Blunt) work was published in three states: the present copy is in the most desirable of the three, with the "very fine large plates, beautifully colored with opaque pigments" (Dunthorne), based on Alfred Chandler's original drawings, most of which were based on specimens from the collection of his father who was owner and proprieter of a nursery at Vauxhall. The Camellia was named by Linnaeus in honor of George Joseph Camellus, a Moravian Jesuit who travelled in Asia and wrote an account of the plants of the Philippine Island, Luzon. Most of the cultivated forms are horticultural products of C. Japonica, a native of China and Japan, which was introduced into Europe by the Lord Petre in 1739. The wild plant has red flowers, recalling those of the wild rose, but most of the cultivated forms are double. The present work includes plates and descriptive text of 40 species or varieties. Camellia Japonica figures prominantly, with plates of species, together with 16 varieties from Chinese and 19 English-bred varieties. In addition, plates and descriptions of the C. Maliflora, Oleifera, Reticulata and Sasanqua are also included. The work ends with 8pp. on the "Propagation and Culture" of the plants. Dunthorne 77; Great Flower Books (1990), p.80; Nissen BBI 209; Stafleu & Cowen TL2 651.

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