SPL Hand Coloured Rare Book Collection Featuring Norman R Bobins

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MAY, A. E. & W.
Choice Flowers: a Collection of Drawings of Favourite Flowers, from the Garden and Conservatory; Drawn, Lithographed, and Coloured from Nature by... with Descriptive Letter-Press by

The subscribers list mentions 72 names subscribing to 75 copies. William May, who wrote the text, ran the Hope Nurseries, at Bedale in Yorkshire. His sister was responsible for the plates, which depict both single flowers and mixed groups, in the hope that they be a useful reference to the botanist "and also instructive to the younger branches of her friends, who may wish to cultivate their taste in the elegant and delightful recreation of drawing" (Preface).

Published
London: Ackermann and Co., 1849.
References
Great Flower Books, p.118
Plates
32
Binding/Size
M=4to
Value
0-5000
Published
London: Ackermann and Co., 1849.
Ref
1185

Folio. (360 × 260mm) Black full morocco publisher’s deluxe binding, gilt, wide rolled panels to the boards, spine gilt in compartments, inner gilt dentelles, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Hand-coloured lithographic half-title/frontispiece printed on thin card stock and 31 other similar plates mounted on linen guards, letter-press title page, dedication leaf, List of Subscribers, Preface, & 16ll. of descriptive text, rectos only. Light browning throughout and some marginal finger-soiling, just 5 of the plates showing the signs of the spotting encountered with this title, some rubbing to the extremities, an excellent copy. FIRST AND ONLY EDITION Subscriber’s list of 72 accounting for 75 copies. Institutionally extremely uncommon, just three copies on COPAC - Birmingham, Leeds, and the V & A - OCLC adds only the Holden Arboretum in Ohio, not in BL, & on the market just three copies at auction in the last 30 years. This is probably the best copy to emerge in that period. Essentially a high-quality promotional device for the family business. William May was head nurseryman at the Hope Nurseries at Burneston near Bedale, Yorkshire. The plates - which show both single flowers and mixed groups - were “drawn from Nature and on Stone” by his sister, each signed Miss May. Despite maintaining the business for several generations, unfortunately, the May family seems to have little personal record beyond census entries. Scarce and highly attractive. Coloured plates in order: 1. Title page. 2. Fuchsia Napoleon / Fuchsia Corallina. 3. Bignonia venusla. 4. Roses. Yellow Brier / Yellow China Rose / Village Maid. 5. Lilium speciosum. 6. Jasminum gracile / Papuver alpina-lutea / Petunia formosissima / Geranium Wildfire. 7. Vallola purpurea. 8. Rhododendrun concinnum. 9. Aquilegia Skinnerii / Aquilegia fragans / Aqulegia glandulosa. 10. Ipomae'a rubro carulea. 11. Calceolarias. 12. Convolvulus minor. 13. Rose Niphetos. 14. Picotees and Carnation / Epiphyllum truncatus. 15. Alstroemeria flava. 16. Gloxinia Maxima. 17. Bigonia incarnata. 18. Roses. Yellow Scotch / Drummond's Thornless. Gloxinia macrophylla shiala / Fuchsia Tom Thumb. 19. Gladiolus Monarch / Enchantress Delicata. 20. Mignionette scented Passiflora. 21. Capucine Austrian Brier. 22. Cyprepedium venustum insigne spectabile. 23. Fuchsia Gigantica / Foxtons / Incomparable Collossus. 24. Calceolarias. 25. Camellias. 26. Gloxinia alba sanguinea / bicolour. 27. Phaedranassa oblusa. 28. Abutilon Venosum. 29. Clematis carulea grandiflora. 30. Ipomae'a Learii. 31. Hippeastrum Aulica var. striata. 32. Gloxinia Snowiama / Gloxinia rosea alba / Acacia gracilis / Chirozema cordata / Lycopodium stoloniferum.