Lot 03

John Hill (1714 - 1775) The British Herbal: An History of Plants and Trees, Natives in Britain, Cultivated for Use, or Raised for Beauty.

2 leafs, 533 numbered pages, 3 unnumbered pages. Engraved frontispiece, 75 copperplate engravings.

First edition. Heavy half-leather binding from the first half of 20th century.

Botanist and apothecary John Hill (1714–1775) wrote many papers about botany, gardening, medicine – and quackery.

The book opens with a copperplate engraved allegory of the “Genius of Health” with attributes of the continents on the frontispiece, designed by Samuel Wade and engraved by Henry Roberts. This is followed by a two-color title page with a vignette by the same artist. Inside, 75 copperplate engravings (including by Benning, Boyce, Darly and Edwards) present several different plant species. The text is printed in two columns.

There is a stain on several of the first outer pages; generally good condition, wide margins