1790 English Botany James Sowerby with 127 Hand Coloured Flower Plates

English Botany or, Coloured Figures of British Plants, with their Essential Characters, Synonyms, and Places of Growth by James Sowerby, F.L.S.

Printed in London. Language – English.

Marked as volume 1 on the cover. Title page states year 1790. Sold as bound collection of 127 hand coloured flower plates.. Plates are bound at random with numbers ranging from plate number 2 to 2456. Quite a few very early plates. Pages are renumbered by hand in ink. Please consult the pictures.

The book is bound in half leather with marble covered boards, spine in six compartments with raised bands, gilt lettering pieces to compartments two, three and four. Covers are heavily rubbed, scuffed at corners and extremities. Spine is scuffed, heavily at head, split at head. Rear joint split at the top 3 inches and scuffed. Front joint worn and scuffed.

Two book plates bearing different names, large sticker for Portsmouth Public Libraries and a library stamp. Portrait frontispiece, title page. End papers browned, as is frontispiece and title page, various library stamps and numbering to verso of title.

Some pages bear small brown blemishes and light foxing. Very few with more heavier foxing. At page 69 there is a large ink blot at the centre. Page 108 has text transfer from the facing page. Occasional library stamp which is applied to the bottom margin area.

All pages are tightly held at the gutter.