Conrad Loddiges, 1817-22

LODDIGES, Conrad (1738-1826). The Botanical Cabinet Consisting of Coloured Delineations of Plants, from all Countries.London: John & Arthur Arch & C. Loddiges & Sons, 1817-22.

Fine large-paper copy of the first series, over 700 hand-colored plates, beautifully bound in green morocco gilt.Conrad Loddiges, a Dutch-born horticulturalist, settled in Hackney as a nurseryman in about 1761 and introduced many new and exotic species to Britain, becoming particularly well known for a fine stock of plants from the United States. The Botanical Cabinetwas edited by Conrad’s son George, and the first series was published in monthly fascicules from 1817 to 1822, with each part containing ten plates. The large-paper issue was priced at 5s per part, and the small-paper issue, with the plates only partially hand-colored, was priced at 2s 6d per part. The demand for the first series was so great that a second series, and then a third, were produced through 1833, eventually amounting to 20 volumes total, but the quality of the original seven volumes was never matched. Arnold Arboretum p. 437 (12th and 13th editions of the Catalogue); Cleveland Collections 806; Dunthorne 187; Great Flower Books, p. 160; Hunt B-P-H p. 219; Nissen BBI 2228; Stafleu and Cowan 4914.

Seven volumes, octavo (210 x 160mm). Engraved titles, 701 hand-colored engraved plates by George Cooke (light spotting on a few leaves). Contemporary green straight-grain morocco gilt by Francis Westley, Friar Street, London (lightly rubbed).