Milne, Colin. A Botanical Dictionary: Or, Elements of Systematic and Philosophical Botany. 1805
pp.[678], plus 25 fine hand-coloured botanical plates, each with facing leaf of explanatory text, 11-page index and 1-page of adverts for books published by H.D. Symonds. 8vo. Hardback. A very minor amount of spotting and very light off-setting o/w. contents fine. Contemporary full calf binding with gilt lettering and decoration to spine just lightly rubbed and very gently sunned to spine o/w. in fine condition. A very pleasing copy of the final, (revised, corrected and significantly enlarged) edition of this detailed work.
Colin Milne (1744?-1815) was a native of Aberdeen. This ‘the third edition of Milne’s ‘Botanical Dictionary’ (1805) is illustrated with twenty-five engravings by Francis Sansom after drawings by Sydenham Edwards.’ (Blanche Henrey). Edwards (1768-1819) was born in Brynbuga (Usk), Wales. ‘In 1779, Mr Denman, a friend of the botanist and author of ‘Flora Londinensis’, William Curtis (1746-1799), happened to be passing through Abergavenny. There, he met the youth Sydenham Edwards and was so impressed by his copies of plates from the Flora that he showed them to Curtis who promptly arranged that Edwards move to London where he was instructed in botanical illustration and set to work firstly on Flora Londinensis and later the ‘Botanical Magazine or Flower Garden Displayed’, along with James Sowerby (1757-1822) and William Kilburn (1745-1818) (Orchid Study Group).
£425.00 [Ref: 68376]