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An excellent run with particularly generous margins and bright plates. 1813-1814 & 1816-1820; vols. 37-40 (bound in 2 vols.) & vols. 43-47, together 9 vols. bound in 7. 598 hand-coloured engraved plates of which some folding, plts. 1502-1680 & 1771-2188 [inc. plt. 1888A & 1888B] and one uncoloured plate. Each volume with title page and index. As stated wide margins - leaf size 155 x 250mm, for instance instruction for cancelled leafs printed in the upper margin are retained e.g. page 1912. All plates are bound with the original pale blue tissue guards. Contemporary, green half morocco bindings, lightly rubbed, spines faded to tan-green, a few corners bumped and edges rubbed. Contents clean and tight, plates generally very clean and bright, occasional spotting and light offsetting, mostly to tissue guards. Original end-papers, no inscriptions. An excellent early run of this most famous of all botanical periodicals. [Nissen BBI 2350] Size: 8vo (15 x 24cm)

The first 39 years of the periodical consisting of volumes 1-54 (bound in 29 physical volumes), published 1789-1827. 'The oldest current scientific periodical of its kind with coloured illustrations in the world, and in the beauty of production and high standard of its contributions it can claim a unique place.'- Henrey. Containing plates 1-2751, of which 218 are folding, lacking three plates (69, 539 & 2466). Some occasional browning, offsetting & spotting, however this being a clean run. Frontispiece portrait of Curtis to the first volume & General Index volume (1818) bound with volume 42. Bound in half calf c.1830 with twin labels, rubbed but sound, two labels missing. With the name-plate of Gordon Castle. Vg. [Stafleau & Cowan 1290; Nissen BBI 2350; Blunt & Stearn 211; Henrey 472; Cleveland 577; Dunthorne 88]

86 volumes, being volumes 1 to 86 (but lacking vol. 17), plus a separate index volume to the first 42 volumes. Vols 1-42 and index bound in contemporary full mottled calf with morocco title labels to the spine. Vols 43-86 bound in half calf over marbled boards with black morocco title labels. The bindings are in generally very good condition with a little wear to the spines of some of the volumes, but no meaningful faults. Bound without three plates (461, 462, 3916) and with two duplicated plates in place of 3684 and 4644. Internally in excellent condition with only occasional foxing, but exceptionally clean for the most part. A handsome and unusually well preserved run of this most influential of botanical works. In total 5174 engraved, hand coloured or chromolithographed plates, including 443 large fold-out plates, initially by Sydenham Edwards and subsequently by a number of botanical artists including Walter Hood Fitch for most of the later issues. A fine, long run of the most eminent of all Botanical journals, generally regarded as the most authoritative source of early botanical illustration. Founded in 1787 by William Curtis, a botanist and natural historian, with a view to produce a journal that was both accessible and authoritative. Each monthly issue comprised of three accurate hand coloured copper engravings each opposite a page or two of descriptive text. The work was immediately popular and by the time of Curtis's death in 1799 circulation was around 3000 copes. The periodical was taken over first by Curtis's friend John Sims, who changed the name to Curtis's Botanical Magazine, and then by William Hooker in 1827. Increasing paper costs and other general economic difficulties meant that circulation dropped to less than 300 copies during the early nineteenth century. The magazine struggled to overcome increasing plagiarism from other publications and exists in varying forms to the present day.