BOTANY Classes, Linnaean System. Rees's Cyclopedia Plate 2 engraving c1802

by Rees, Abraham

Very pretty Botanical engraving showing the different classes c1802.

Original copperplate engraving for “The Cyclopaedia; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and Literature” by Abraham Rees, published in 1802 by Longman and Rees. With such a large undertaking over so many years, between 1805 and 1820 publishers were different combinations of Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown of Paternoster Row, London.

This early encylopedia was the brainchild of Presbyterian minister and scholar, Abraham Rees (1743-1825) who had, for many years, revised “Chamber’s Cyclopaedia”. Rees employed skilled artists and foremost experts in each field that was covered. Accompanying the 39 volumes of text, were 6 volumes, each with 240 engraved plates, with each engraved plate hand-set on hand-made 'wove'paper. It was a very ambitious project, and the most comprehensvie of the 19th century. Only one set of the complete work, in half-volumes, is known to survive, in the library of the Natural History Museum in London.

The full page size is 26.5 x 20.5mm (10.4" x 8")