The illustrated botany : comprising the most valuable native and exotic plants, with their history, medicinal properties, etc. : to which is added an introduction on physiology, and a view of the natural and Linnæan systems

By

Newman, John B.
Comstock, J. L. (John Lee), 1789-1858
Whitefield, Edwin, 1816-1892
Ackerman, James, 1815 or 16-1864

Type

Book

Material

Published material

Publication info

New York, J.K. Wellman, 1846-1847

Notes

Vol. 2 has subtitle: Introduction to the natural system, a treatise on vegetable physiology, and on the botany of fossils, together with descriptions of numerous species of plants.

"This work will be published monthly, with four or six flowers, handsomely painted, in each number. Price, three dollars a year, or two copies sent to one address for five dollars."--Back cover of part wrappers. Vol. 1, no. 1 was issued in Mar. 1846.

Vol. 2 edited by J.L. Comstock.

Vol. 1 title page found with and without the volume number; some copies of vol. 2 title page have "Vol. 1" and imprint of B.H. Culver.

Illustrations consist of lithographs, all but 2 predominantly or wholly hand-colored.

"Bibliographically [The illustrated botany] is maddeningly complex ... An examination of three of the half dozen known copies only reveals that none of them resemble the others. In one copy all the green leaves are chromolithographic, the flowers being hand-colored. In a second copy only the first 30 per cent of the green leaves are chromolithographic, the flowers being hand-colored, and the remaining 70 per cent of the plates (entirely different plates from those in copy one) are completely hand-colored. A third copy has the same 70 per cent of the plates entirely hand-colored, but this copy's first 30 percent of the plates are entirely different again, and are not at all chromolithographic."--McGrath, Daniel Francis, American colorplate books 1800-1900. PhD diss., University of Michigan, 1966, p. 90.

"The illustrated botany of 1846 and 1847 has chromo plates by Ackerman, who probably did not do the hand-colored plates."--McGrath, p. 93.

Some plates have artist's signature "E. Whitefield".

Nissen 391 (under Comstock) describes the issue of vol. 2 with the "vol. I" title page, noting the lithographer's signature of J. Ackerman.

Includes index.

For this work as issued in parts, see serial records in American Antiquarian Society catalog.

Subjects

Botany , Color , Colored , Lithographs , Pictorial works

Call Number

QK81 .N52

Language

English

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.60220
LCCN: https://lccn.loc.gov/03003367
OCLC: 8795595