The Botanist's Repository, Volume I: Comprising Colour'd Engravings of New and Rare Plants Only

Very good copy of the first volume of Andrews' magnus opus, with 72 stunning botanical plates.

Title page dated 1797, but preface dated 1799.

Complete with 72 copperplates drawn, engraved, published and hand-coloured by Henry Andrews himself, printed in black or green ink and heightened with gum arabic.

Volume 1 only in a series of 10 volumes with 664 plates published from 1797 to 1814 as the first serious rival to William Curtis' Botanical Magazine.

Andrews stated that it was his intent to introduce new and rare plants "as have not hitherto appeared in any similar publication." This volume has herbs and shrubs from Mexico, South America, the West Indies, South Africa, Japan, Madeira, and many other exotic locations.

The distinctive plates are dynamic and elegant, with brilliant and vibrant hand-colour by Andrews himself. Printed in green ink, many look like water-colour paintings rather than engravings. The image fills the page, with some trimmed right up to the plate mark.

With botanical descriptions in Latin and English after the Linnean System.

Henry Andrews lived and worked at No. 5 Knightsbridge, London, and married the daughter of John Kennedy, owner of the Hammersmith nursery of Kennedy and Lee. He self-published many botanical works including Coloured Engravings of Heaths in 1802, Roses and Geraniums in 1805.

Half leather binding with rebacked spine, five raised bands, black leather title labels, gilt lettering, marble boards scuffed and worn, spotting confined mostly to the text pages and tissue guards, plates mostly clean and vivid with stunning hand-colour.