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 THUMBNAILS FOR A PHOTO OF THE ENTIRE SHEET |
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Plate 137
Adoxa Moschatellina
(Tuberous Moschatel) |
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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Plate 194
Agaricus glutinosus
(Slimy Mushroom) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 8 3/4 x 11 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 146
Aira praecox
(Early Hair-Grass) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 4 3/8 x 6 1/4 inches
Note that the entire sheet is too large to scan, so the margins appear cut off in the provided enlarements, but are full 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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Alsine media
(Common Chickweed) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 14 1/4 x 8 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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Antirrhinum Elatine
(Sharp-pointed Fluellin) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 11 x 9 1/4 inches
NOTE NARROW RIGHT MARGIN
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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Antirrhinum Linaria
(Common Yellow Toad Flax) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 6 1/2 x 16 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 296
Antirrhinum minus
(The Least Toad Flax)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 4 3/4 x 10 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 205
Antirrhinum spurium
(Round-leaved Fluellin)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 14 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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Arabis Thaliana
(Podded Mouse-ear)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 8 x 10 1/4 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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Plate 192
Bidens cernua
(Nodding Water-hemp Agimony)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 3/8 x 17 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 158
Brasica muralis
(Wild Rocket)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 9 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 105
Bromus hirsutus
(Hairy-stalked Brome-Grass)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 1/4 x 17 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 166
Bryum Argenteum
(Silver Bryum)
Bryum Caespiticium
(Matted Bryum)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 5 1/4 x 7 3/4 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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Plate 274
Bryum barbatum
(Bearded Bryum)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 5 3/4 x 7 inches
NOTE LIGHT TEXT OFFSETTING, AGE TONING OF PAPER, FAINT FOXING
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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Bryum hornum
(Swans-neck Bryum)
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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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Bryum Scoparium
(Broom Bryum)
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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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Bryum subulatum
(Awl-shaped Bryum)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 5 x 6 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 132
Bryum viridulum
(Green Bryum)
Bryum Truncatulum
(Brown Bryum)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 5 1/4 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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Bryum undulatum
(Curled Bryum)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 5 x 7 /12 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 185
Centunculus minimus
(Bastard Pimpernel)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 3 1/2 x 4 1/4 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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Cerastium aquaticum
(Marsh Ceratium or
Mouse-ear Chickweed)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 3/4 x 12 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 122
Cerastium semidecandrum
(Least Mouse-ear Chickweed)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 6 3/4 x 7 3/4 inches
Original text page(s) included along with copy of title page/frontispiece to Flora Londinensis from 1777
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Cerastium tetrandrum
(Mouse-ear Chickweed)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 9 3/4 x 7 1/2 inches
NOTE ORIGINAL WATERCOLOUR PAINT SMEAR
AT LOWER PLATE MARK
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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Cerastium viscosum
(Broad-leaved Mouse-ear Chickweed)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 7 3/4 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 130
Cerastium vulgatum
(Common Mouse-ear Chickweed)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 12 1/4 x 8 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 184
Chenopodium bonus Henricus
(Good King Henry)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 9 1/2 x 16 3/4 inches
NOTE LIGHT TEXT OFFSETTING AND AGE TONING
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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Chenopodium olidum
(Stinking Blite, or Orach)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 9 1/2 x 8 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 103
Chenopodium viride
(Purple-jointed Goosefoot)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 8 x 15 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 138
Chrysosplenium oppositifolium
(Common Golden Saxifrage)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 9 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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Cistus guttatus
(Spotted-flowered Cistus)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 6 1/4 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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Draba verna
(Vernal Draba or Whitlow Grass)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 5 1/2 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 195
Epilobium montanum
(Wood Willow-herb)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 6 x 16 1/2inches
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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Erigeron acre
(Purple Erigeron)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 6 x 17 1/2inches
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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Ervum hirsutum
(Rough-podded Tine-Tare)
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Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 8 3/4 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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Ervum tetraspermum
(Smooth-podded Tine Tare) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 10 1/4 x 17 3/4 inches
NOTE NARROW MARGINS
DUE TO LARGE SIZE OF IMAGE
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 144
Erysimum alliarria
(Sauce-alone) |
Image size, measured at plate mark:
approx. 9 1/2 x 14 1/4 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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