The Parks, Promenades and Gardens of Paris Described and Considered in Relation to the Wants of Our Own Cities and of Public and private Gardens. by Robinson, William

London: John Murray, 1869. First edition, in two volumes (pp. xxxii, 644, index) with three fold-out maps, 48 engraved plates, and 378 figures in the text. Octavo (22 cm), fine polished green calf, fancy gilt titles in morocco title panels, gilt decoration to cover edges and spines, a.e.g.; fine complimentary endpapers. Nelson in his ODNB article on Robinson says in part, “His books and periodicals provided Robinson with platforms from which to promote his own philosophy of gardening, and in this he was pre-eminently successful. Robinson, it is widely claimed, was ‘responsible for sweeping away... carpet-bedding’... and promoting a more relaxed style using hardy plants.” Robinson is described variously as the father of English gardening, sensitive, irascible, belligerent, saintly, capricious and ‘especially in later life’ apt to hold contradictory views with equal enthusiasm-- but, of course, he’s not the only gardener to do so. See also our Book No. 1396 (Flora and Sylva, Volumes  I, II, III.  A Monthly Review for Lovers of Garden, Woodland, Tree, or Flower; New and Rare Plants, Trees, Shrubs, and Fruits; the Garden Beautiful, Home Woods and Home Landscape). Re-inforced hinges. Clean, bright volumes-- apparently never opened. Quite fine.