Full title:
FLORA LONDINENSIS: OR PLATES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF SUCH PLANTS AS GROW WILD IN THE ENVIRONS OF LONDON: WITH Their Places of Growth, and Times of Flowering; their several Names according to Linnaeus and other Authors: with A particular Description of each Plant in LATIN and ENGLISH.
To which are Added, Their several Uses in Medicine, Agriculture, Rural Oeconomy, and other Arts.
by William Curtis,
DEMONSTRATOR of BOTANY to the Company of APOTHECARIES
LONDON: Printed and Sold by the Author, No. 51 Gracechurch-Street: and B. White, Bookseller, in Fleet-Street
MDCCLXXVII
Original 245+-year-old hand-colored copperplate engravings from William Curtis's "Flora Londinensis" published in 1777 |
William Curtis holding his famous book, Flora Londinensis (1777-98).
A portrait attributed to Joseph Wright of Derby. |
William Curtis, a Quaker, was eager to share his horticultural knowledge with others; when a projected course of lectures at Chelsea did not materialize, he arranged one of his own, on botany and horticulture, in the new garden which he had made for himself in "Lambeth Marsh." Here he also cultivated some six thousand species of plants. But his prime interest was in the British flora, especially in such flowers as grew in the neighborhood of London. With the support of Lord Bute, he embarked on his first ambitious project, the Flora Londinensis — a series of coloured folio illustrations and descriptions of the plants which grew within a radius of ten miles of the metropolis.
The first part of Flora Londinensis appeared in 1777, and in the same year Curtis, overburdened with work, resigned his post at Chelsea. For ten years he continued perseveringly at his congenial but unremenerative task; by 1787, the results of his labours were two splendid folio volumes and a deficit which made the continuance of his venture impossible. He understood the cause of the trouble and saw the remedy: if his clients refused to buy folio pictures of the unassuming plants that grew by the wayside, he would win their patronage with octavo engravings of the bright exotics which filled their gardens. Thus, in 1787, the Botanical Magazine was born. As Curtis himself said, it brought him "pudding" whereas Flora Londinensis had only brought him praise. |
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Darvill's collection of fine Curtis botanicals includes both "Flora Londinensis" and the "Botanical Magazine" |
Hand-coloured engravings. Sheet size is approx. 11 1/2 x 17 3/4 inches. Plate/Image sizes vary (noted below each thumbnail).
Each print is accompanied by the original descriptive text page(s) in both Latin and English, unless otherwise indicated. |
PLEASE CLICK ON A THUMBNAIL FOR A PHOTO OF THE ENTIRE PLATE |
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Plate 245
Euphorbia exigua
(Small Spurge)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 5 1/4 x 9 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Euphrasia officinalus
(Common Eyebright) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 5 x 7 1/2 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Euphorbia Peplus
(Small Garden Spurge) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 7 x 13 1/4 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Festuca fluitans
(Flote Fescue Grass) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 1/2 x 17 3/4 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 112
Fumaria officinalis
(Common Fumitory) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Galium aparine
(Cleavers or Goose Grass) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 9 1/4 x 15 1/4 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 190
Hydnum auriscalpium
(Fir Hydnum) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 7 x 9 1/2 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 162
Hypericum humifusum
(Trailing St. John's Wort) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 8 1/2 x 8 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Hypericum Perforatum
(Common St. John's Wort) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 5 1/4 x 17 3/4 inches
NOTE LACK OF TOP MARGIN AND NARROW BOTTOM MARGIN DUE TO LARGE SIZE OF IMAGE, AS ISSUED
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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Hypericum pulchrum
(Small upright St. John's Wort) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 5 1/4 x 17 3/4 inches
NOTE LACK OF TOP MARGIN AND NARROW BOTTOM MARGIN DUE TO LARGE SIZE OF IMAGE, AS ISSUED
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Hypnum Proliferum
(Proliferous Hypnum) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 5 x 7 1/2 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 126
Hypnum sericeum
(Silky Hypnum) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 4 1/4 x 7 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 156
Inula Pulicaria
(Small Fleabane) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 6 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 271
Jungermannia complanata
(Flat Jungermannia) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 6 x 7 inches
NOTE THE DISCOLORATION WHERE A LAYER OF SOME SUBSTANCE WAS BRUSHED OVER IMAGE
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$40 |
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Plate 115
Lamium album
(White Dead-Nettle) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 1/4 x 14 1/4 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Lapsana communis
(Nipplewort) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 8 1/4 x 17 1/2 inches
NOTE LACK OF LOWER MARGIN DUE TO LARGE SIZE OF IMAGE, AS ISSUED
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 151
Linum catharticum
(Purging Flax) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 6 x 10 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 336
Lycopsis Arvensis
(Field, or Small Wild Bugloss) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 6 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Lysinachia Nemorum
(Wood Moneywort, or Loosestrife) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 9 1/4 x 10 3/4 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 120
Medicago lupulina
(Hop Medick) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 13 3/4 x 9 1/4 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 176
Medicago polymorpha
(Heart Medick, or Claver) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 12 1/2 x 9 inches
NOTE LIGHT TEXT OFFSETTING
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Mercurialis perennis
(Dogs Mercury) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 1/4 x 17 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 188
Montia fontana
(Blinks) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches
NOTE FOX MARKS
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Onopordum acanthium
(Cotton Thistle) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 1/4 x 17 1/2 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 177
Ophrys ovata
(Twayblade) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 1/4 x 17 1/2 inches
NOTE FAINT TEXT OFFSETTING/DISCOLORATION
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 270
Ophrys spiralis
(Ladies Traces) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 4 3/8 x 8 1/2 inches
NOTE DISCOLORATION DUE TO SOME SUBSTANCE BEING BRUSHED OVER IMAGE AREA
Original text page(s) included
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Plate 297
Papaver dubium
[Field Poppy] |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 1/4 x 15 3/4 inches
NOTE FAINT TEXT OFFSETTING/DISCOLORATION,
TEAR IN LEFT MARGIN OUTSIDE OF IMAGE AREA
Original text page(s) are not available for this plate
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$249.95 |
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Plate 233
Parietaria officinalis
(Pellitory of the Wall) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 1/4 x 17 inches
NOTE FAINT TEXT OFFSETTING/DISCOLORATION
AND A COUPLE OF FOX MARKS
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 150
Pecris echioides
(Ox-Tongue) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 x 17 1/4 inches
NOTE A COUPLE OF UNOBTRUSIVE FOX MARKS
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 235
Phallus caninus
(Red-headed Morell) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 5 x 9 inches
NOTE LIGHT BROWNING
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 199
Phallus impudicus
(Stinking Morell) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 9 1/2 x 17 inches
NOTE LIGHT BROWNING AND SMALL PAPER LOSS EXTREME UPPER RIGHT CORNER
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plantago Major
(Common Plantain)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 9 1/4 x 15 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Plate 142
Poa rigida
(Hard Meadow-Grass) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 4 x 8 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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$249.95 |
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Polygonum aviculare
(Birds Polygonum or Knot-Grass) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 1/4 x 9 3/4 inches
NOTE FAINT FOXING
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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Thousands of Original Antique and Vintage Botanical Prints |
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