PAPWORTH, John Buonarotti (1775-1847). Hints on Ornamental Gardening.London: R. Ackermann, 1823.

First edition.The work originated as a series of 34 articles, each consisting of a plate and its accompanying description, printed in Ackerman's Repositorybetween 1819 and 1821. Papworth chose 28 of these plates to be included here and added a revised text with a new introductory essay. In the present copy the plates are not numbered with roman numerals, and no watermarks are visible on the wove paper. “A necessary companion volume to the author’s Rural Residencesand of greater rarity” (Abbey). Abbey Life46; Berlin Kat. 3436; RIBA 2427; Tooley 360.

Quarto (272 x 185mm). Half-title, frontispiece, woodcut figures in text, and 28 aquatint plates, all hand-colored but for two finished in sepia and with an overslip (occasional light spotting). Publisher’s embossed gray-green cloth (covers soiled, spine and extremities sunned).