About this Item
An original hand-coloured lithograph plate by John Nugent Fitch (1840-1927) with vibrant colours, dated 1893. A superb double fold plate, Size 31 x 24cm. The condition is excellent with no off-setting, the thick paper very slightly tanned as usual. (supplied with accompanying text, but without mount) The quality of the illustrations in the Botanical Magazine is outstanding, both accurate and decorative, the colours vibrant. J. N. Fitch was the nephew of the perhaps more famous Walter Fitch and "he lithographed nearly 2500 drawings for the Botanical Magazine in a manner scarcely distinguishable from that of his uncle, thus carrying their combined connection with the periodical over a period of eighty-two years, during seventy-one of which they were its sole lithographers" (Blunt, Wilfrid, The Art of Botanical Illustrations). William Curtis (1746-1799) was a trained apothecary living in London, although his passion was for natural history, particularly plants and insects. He maintained a large well-stocked garden and began the publication of the Botanical Magazine in February 1787, which has gone on to become the most famous and influential botanical publication of its type; it is still published today, making it the longest running scientific periodical of all time. Curtis edited the first 13 volumes, and was then succeeded by John Simms (1800-1826), William Jackson Hooker (1827-1865) and Joseph Dalton Hooker (1865-1904), the current editor of the magazine is Martyn Rix. The fine illustrations were by many artists including Sydenham Edwards, William Graves, James Sowerby, John Curtis, William Jackson Hooker, W.H. Fitch, J. N. Fitch, Matilda Smith, Lillian Snelling and Stella Rose Craig. The plates were hand-coloured up to 1948!, all being copper engravings to around 1840, and then stone or zinc lithography until the introduction of color printing in 1948. References: Blunt;The Art of Botanical Illustration, Great Flower Books pp 156 - 157, Nissen BPI 2350, Staflue 1290. (Please Note: we do not break books for plates, nor do we condone this practice. Our plates have either been purchased loose or have come from books that are so defective or incomplete that they are irreparable). Seller Inventory # 007711
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