Lot 39: DENISSE, ETIENNE.

DENISSE, ETIENNE. FLORE D'AMÉRIQUE DESSINÉE D'APRÈS NATURE SUR LES LIEUX. RICHE COLLECTION DE PLANTES LES PLUS REMARQUABLES, FLEURS & FRUITS DE GROSSEUR & DE GRANDEUR NATURELLE. PARIS: BY THE AUTHOR, C.1843-1846 First edition , broadsheets (487 x 322 mm.), 126 hand-coloured lithographed plates (only, of 201) after Denisse by Gihout frères and Denisse, numbered 1-126, first 72 plates loose, the others stitched or loose in original pictorial or plain fascicle wrappers, the whole contained in a contemporary half maroon morocco portfolio, red half morocco clamshell case, lacking 25 plates, plate 117 with a repaired tear at lower margin into image, scattered inconsequential very short marginal tears or tiny marginal chips, some scattered light foxing, more severe on about 9 plates, several plates browned, wrappers a bit chipped and frayed, the portfolio slightly rubbed at extremities, ties lost

Great Flower Books 55 (calling for 72 plates only); Nissen, BBI 470; Pritzel 2157; Stafleu & Cowen 1366

Frederick, 2nd Baron Hesketh, bookplate

A spectacular work on American botany, and of the utmost rarity - we have traced no complete copy at auction.

Denisse "worked for the botanical garden of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris. He lived for many years in the French West Indies, employed by the government [in Guadeloupe] to illustrate plants and collect horticultural specimens. Flore d'Amérique created a sensation when first released; the... magnificent hand-colored lithographs included many species considered exotic at the time". (Paradise in Print... An Exhibition, New York Botanical Garden, April 2007).