BATEMAN, JAMES A Second century of orchidaceous plants. Selected from the subjects published in 'Curtis' botanical magazine' since the issue of the 'First century.' London: L. Reeve & Co., 1867
4to. (33 cm.) Contemporary green cloth. Collation: viii, [100] p. 100 hand colored lithographic plates numbered 100-200, p. [vii]-viii (index) at end. Each plate accompanied by leaf with descriptive letterpress. The plates have orchids dramatically displayed in rich and full color. Plate 180 has very slight stippling of black ink touching petals of two flowers. Several plates had perimeter foxing that has been removed with only plate 103 showing some softness in the coloring.Contemporary green cloth binding with expert re-casing. Gilt title and author on spine with gilt embossed monogram on cover within tooled oval. Covers with tooled margin and finely set stamped pattern.
James Bateman was a horticulturist and Fellow of the Royal Society who took B.A. and M.A from Magdalen College, Oxford and, as a young man, took great interest in cultivating tropical fruits. He was best known for his work on orchids, providing at his own expense support for obtaining orchid samples from a collector (T. Colley) or merchant seaman (G. Ure Skinner). From Skinner he obtained orchid samples from Guatemala which became the basis for his major atlas folio on same of which only 100 copies were printed. (DNB supp I p. 137) His keen interest in orchids lead to this study as a continuation of W. J. Hooker's, A Century of Orchidaceous Plants. Bateman had the advantage of having W. H. Fitch, one of the best lithographers of the 19th century. Fitch "sketched plants with swift, unerring outlines and then shaded economically with chalk. Much of his work was prepared for hand coloring and contained broad areas of white space. W. B. Hemsley... remarked that he worked on stone 'without hesitation, and with a rapidity and dexterity that was simply marvelous.' W. J. Hooker, who first discovered and nurtured Fitch's talent, praised his 'unrivaled skill in seizing the natural character of a plant.' His uncomplicated style was almost certainly an important factor in achieving this." (Printmaking in the Service of Botany, p.121)(Great Flower Books, p.73; Pritzel 474; Nissen 87; Stafleu TL2 344.)
$US12500
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