Mentha (from A Curious Herbal). by EIGHTEENTH CENTURY hand colored botanical engraving) Blackwell, Elizabeth (illus) - circa 1750 - 1773.

Nuremberg, Germany.: C.J. Trew.. circa 1750 - 1773.. Hand colored engraving, plate size 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches on sheet 14 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches. A few faint spots to right edge and two 1/8 inch holes to lower right corner of sheet(all outside plate area), otherwise very good condition. This attractive image of a culinary herb shows the flowering mint plant and botanical details. Plate 290 from "Herbarium Blackwellianum", the revised German edition of Elizabeth Blackwell's "A Curious Herbal" which had been published in London 1731-1739. Mrs. Blackwell had taken on the task of producing an up-to-date illustrated text of medicinal plants for the purpose of extricating her husband from debtor's prison. Producing the original watercolors, engraving the plates and then handcoloring the engravings, Blackwell raised the money to regulate her husband's affairs, but to little avail since he became involved in a political plot in Sweden and was beheaded there in 1747. The images were re-engraved by N.F. Eisenberger for the German edition, which was published between 1750 and 1773. .