BENJAMIN MAUND (1791-1864)
The Botanic Garden; consisting of highly finished representations of hardy ornamental flowering plants, cultivated in Great Britain [edited by Benjamin Maund] London: Simpkin & Marshall, Sherwood & Co. (vols.I-IX) or Groombridge & Sons (vols.X-XIII), 1825 [but 1831] -[1850]. 13 volumes.; [Together with:] The Floral Register. London, New York, etc.: [1835-1850]. 2 volumes. [And:] The Fruitist; a treatise on orchard and garden fruits. London: [1843-1850]. [And:] The Auctarium of the Botanic Garden. London: [1840-1850], 1 vol. only (of 2).
Together 17 volumes only (of 18), 4° (207 x 165mm.) 13 engraved additional titles, engraved dedication, 311 hand-coloured engraved plates only (of 312), 72 hand-coloured engraved illustrations (in The Fruitist), illustrations. (Lacking plate 122 from vol.VI, spotting to most titles, occasionally heavy, very occasional light browning to plates.) Uniform contemporary green half calf gilt (spines slightly scuffed and with occasional chips to head and foot).
[With:] The Auctarium. London: [1834-1850]. 2 volumes, 4° (217 x 173mm). (Lacking pp.35-6 and 277-8 from vol.I.) Contemporary purple half morocco gilt, g.e. (spine slightly soiled.)
The publication of The Botanic Garden began in January 1825 and continued monthly, however the present set is clearly purchased later and is made up of early reprints of vols. I-III (some plates are watermarked 1831) with first editions of vols.IV onwards. The ...Register and The Auctarium, and The Fruitist were issued as supplements to the monthly parts of The Botanic Garden from 1834 until completion in 1850.
The plates in the first named work are divided into quarters each containing an image of a different plant. The engraving is by S.Watts after drawings by Mrs E.Bury, Misses E. & S. Maund, E.D. Smith and Mills. The original drawings are in the Natural History Museum.
Maund, botanist, pharmacist and bookseller, lived and worked in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, In addition to his publishing enterprises he was a member of the Linnean Society (from 1827) and served on the botanical committees of the Worcestershire Natural History Society.
Dunthorne 198-200; Great Flower Books p.85; Nissen BBI 2222; Stafleu and Cowan 5712, 5714, 5715. Sold as a periodical not subject to return. (19)