Premium pages left without account:

Auction archive: Lot number 11

BLACKWELL, Elizabeth (d.1758). A Curious Herbal, containing five hundred cuts of the most useful plants... from drawings taken from life ... To which is added a short description of ye plants and their common use in physick . London: John Nourse, 1739.

Auction 14.10.2003
14 Oct 2003
Estimate
US$10,000 - US$15,000
Price realised:
US$15,535
Auction archive: Lot number 11

BLACKWELL, Elizabeth (d.1758). A Curious Herbal, containing five hundred cuts of the most useful plants... from drawings taken from life ... To which is added a short description of ye plants and their common use in physick . London: John Nourse, 1739.

Auction 14.10.2003
14 Oct 2003
Estimate
US$10,000 - US$15,000
Price realised:
US$15,535
Beschreibung:

BLACKWELL, Elizabeth (d.1758). A Curious Herbal, containing five hundred cuts of the most useful plants... from drawings taken from life ... To which is added a short description of ye plants and their common use in physick . London: John Nourse, 1739. 2 volumes, 2 o (391 x 248 mm). 2 engraved titles, engraved dedicatory leaves, 2 engraved index leaves, 2 engraved leaves "Catalogus Plantarum," 125 engraved leaves of explanatory text and 500 hand-colored plates (some soiling and mostly pale foxing throughout, few occasional handling creases). Contemporary mottled calf (rebacked, worn). Provenance : purchased from Hamill and Barker, 1966. Henrey's fourth issue, except here the dedication in vol. II is to Robert Nicholls and vol II. is without the dedications to Henry Plumptre, Joseph Miller or John Johnstone The work's bibliographical history is complicated and not fully documented. "There is no uniformity with regard to the number of dedications contained in the various issues, or in the order in which the preliminary leaves are arranged" (Henrey). Elizabeth Blackwell undertook the work with the encouragement of various eminent members of the medical profession and with the intention of paying off her husband Alexander's debts. She took a house opposite the Chelsea Physic Garden, at 4, Swan Walk, at the suggestion of Isaac Reed, in order to draw and engrave the plants. Her husband helped by supplying the common names of the plants in various languages. The work was a success, and she achieved her object. She accompanied her husband to Sweden where he was employed as an agricultural expert (Linnaeus visited him in 1746), but he unfortunately became involved in politics, was arrested and eventually beheaded on 29 July 1747, for his part in a conspiracy to alter the Swedish succession. Elizabeth, who died in 1758, is buried in the churchyard of Chelsea Old Church. Cleveland Collections 386; Dunthorne 42; Great Flower Books , p.50; Henrey 453; Hunt 510; Lisney 175 and 180; Nissen BBI 168; Pritzel 811; Stafleu & Cowan TL2 545. (2)

Auction archive: Lot number 11
Auction:
Datum:
14 Oct 2003
Auction house:
Christie's
New York, Rockefeller Center
Beschreibung:

BLACKWELL, Elizabeth (d.1758). A Curious Herbal, containing five hundred cuts of the most useful plants... from drawings taken from life ... To which is added a short description of ye plants and their common use in physick . London: John Nourse, 1739. 2 volumes, 2 o (391 x 248 mm). 2 engraved titles, engraved dedicatory leaves, 2 engraved index leaves, 2 engraved leaves "Catalogus Plantarum," 125 engraved leaves of explanatory text and 500 hand-colored plates (some soiling and mostly pale foxing throughout, few occasional handling creases). Contemporary mottled calf (rebacked, worn). Provenance : purchased from Hamill and Barker, 1966. Henrey's fourth issue, except here the dedication in vol. II is to Robert Nicholls and vol II. is without the dedications to Henry Plumptre, Joseph Miller or John Johnstone The work's bibliographical history is complicated and not fully documented. "There is no uniformity with regard to the number of dedications contained in the various issues, or in the order in which the preliminary leaves are arranged" (Henrey). Elizabeth Blackwell undertook the work with the encouragement of various eminent members of the medical profession and with the intention of paying off her husband Alexander's debts. She took a house opposite the Chelsea Physic Garden, at 4, Swan Walk, at the suggestion of Isaac Reed, in order to draw and engrave the plants. Her husband helped by supplying the common names of the plants in various languages. The work was a success, and she achieved her object. She accompanied her husband to Sweden where he was employed as an agricultural expert (Linnaeus visited him in 1746), but he unfortunately became involved in politics, was arrested and eventually beheaded on 29 July 1747, for his part in a conspiracy to alter the Swedish succession. Elizabeth, who died in 1758, is buried in the churchyard of Chelsea Old Church. Cleveland Collections 386; Dunthorne 42; Great Flower Books , p.50; Henrey 453; Hunt 510; Lisney 175 and 180; Nissen BBI 168; Pritzel 811; Stafleu & Cowan TL2 545. (2)

Auction archive: Lot number 11
Auction:
Datum:
14 Oct 2003
Auction house:
Christie's
New York, Rockefeller Center
Try LotSearch

Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!

  • Search lots and bid
  • Price database and artist analysis
  • Alerts for your searches
Create an alert now!

Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.

Create an alert