Natural History, Botany & the Enlightenment - Bradley (Richa...

Hammer

£2,300

Natural History, Botany & the Enlightenment - Bradley (Richard, Late Fellow of the Royal Society), The History of Succulent Plants: Containing, The Aloes, Ficoids (or Fig-Marygolds (sic)) Torch-Thistles, Melon-Thistles, and such others as are capable of an Hortus Siccus/Engraved, from the Originals, on Copper-Plates/With their Descriptions, and Manner of Culture, five-parts in one volume, second edition, London: Printed for J. Hodges, at the Looking-Glass, on London-Bridge, 1739, each of the five parts with separate title-pages printed in English on both sides, the text printed in double-columns in parallel English and Latin, decorative woodcut initials, head- & tailpieces, complete: pp: [2] (blank), [vi], 11, [1] (advert); [2], 11, [1] (advert); [2],12, [2] (binder's direction & blank); [2],18,[2] (binder's direction & blank); [2], 7-18, [3] (binder's direction and blanks); illustrated with 50 botanical engravings by Henry Hulsbergh (d. 1729), John Stuart (1658-1730) and others. (Numbered 1-50, no. 26 and 27 on one page, one plate folding), contemporary speckled calf, the covers gilt-ruled with a double-fillet, graduating six-compartment spine of raised bands tooled in gilt with foliate bosses, red-speckled edges, 4to (23cm x 17.5cm), [Henrey 492; ESTC N17833], [1]

A rare variant of a rare work. According to Staflen (TL2 699) the second edition has a new title-page (as here), but usually omits the separate part-titles - which are still present in this copy.

Only three UK institutional locations found (Chetham's Library, Royal Horticultural Society Library & Edinburgh University Library).

Provenance: 1st) Fred: ?B, contemporary ink manuscript ownership inscription; 2nd) Rob. Bliss Oxon 1825/0.3.0, ink manuscript inscription. There are two Robert Blisses recorded in Oxford at the time: one a bookseller with a circulating library, the other Bailiff of the University; could they be the same man?