GERANIUMS:

This volume contains 62 of 124 plates, 'Complete copies are rare.' (Stafleu, see below)

First Edition: 62 fine hand-coloured engraved plates, 6 folding, some captions are cropped, plates printed on H.W. Whatman paper watermarked 1805, each plates faces a page with descriptive text, full nineteenth-century green morocco, titled gilt on the spine and with inner gilt dentelles, all edges gilt, bookseller's ticket of R. Ackermann on the front paste-down endpaper,  a very good copy.

This impressive work is largely devoted to the new species of pelargoniums which were being introduced from South Africa at the time. Andrews comments in his introduction, ‘The principal difficulty annexed to this undertaking arises from the introduction of the African species within the last twenty years from the Cape of Good Hope, whose prolific character seems to know no bounds, in the production of endless seminal varieties, which, Proteus-like, appear in ever-varying forms…….’

Andrews was an unusual botanical artist in that he was not only the artist but also the engraver, colourist, and publisher of his books in an era when most artists were only employed to draw plates. The work was a monograph devoted to the new species of pelargoniums being introduced from South Africa, with plates drawn, engraved, and probably coloured by Andrews himself. The imprint at the very bottom of most of the plates reads, ‘Pub. as the Act directs by H. Andrews Knightsbridge.’

Stafleu TL2 138 (Stafleu & Cowan: Taxonomic Literature: A Selective Guide to Botanical Publications and Collections (2nd edition, Volume 1, page 52, no. 138) :

'Geraniums: or a monograph of the genus Geranium: containing coloured figures of all the known species and numerous beautiful varieties, drawn, engraved, described, and coloured, from the living plants, by H. C. Andrews, author of The botanist's repository, Coloured engravings of heaths, etc.... Some plates are watermarked 1805, the plates are not numbered and are bound in alphabetical order in each volume. Complete copies are rare.'  

As was common at the time, Geraniums was issued in parts or fascicles, individual instalments delivered to subscribers over time, rather than as a finished bound book and this may explain why complete copies are scarce.

Nissen BBI 32 (Die botanische Buchillustration: ihre Geschichte und Bibliographie )

Dunthorne (G.) Flower and Fruit Prints of the 18th and Early 19th Centuries (New Edition 1970), No.11, page 171.

Pritzel 177. (Pritzel. Thesaurus literaturae botanicae)