Botany antique print. Rosaceous and Papillonaceous classes of Trees and Shrubs. Rees c1812

by Rees, Abraham

Rosaceous (from the Rose) and Papillonaceous (from the Butterfly) classes of Trees and Shrubs: Tourneforts System of classification from French botanist and physician, and pioneer in systematic botany, Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656-1708), whose system of plant classification represented a major advance in his day and in some respects is still valid - although it has been superseded by the Linnaean taxonomy of Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1798) who founded the modern botanical and zoological nomenclature in 1758.

Original copperplate engraving circa 1812 by Milton, for “The Cyclopaedia; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and Literature” by Abraham Rees, published by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown of Paternoster Row, London. This early encyclopedia was the brainchild of Presbyterian minister and scholar, Abraham Rees (1743-1825) who, for many years, had revised “Chamber’s Cyclopaedia”. Rees employed skilled artists and foremost experts in each field to produce his own encyclopaedia. 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 comprehensive 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 fine hand-colour is from a later date, but certainly enhances the work. Page size measures 265 x 215 mm (10.5 x 8.5 inches). 18 x 24 cm (7 x 9.5 inches)