Familiar Trees, First and Second Series

Boulger, G. S.; Boot, W. H. J. (Illust.)

Published by Cassell & Company, London, 1888

First Edition. Leather_bound. If you need further invitation to bask in the arboreal beauty of Familiar Trees, the author's introduction will certainly serve: "Trees are universal favorites. Their exhilarating verdure in spring, their grateful shade in summer, their gay variety in autumn, and even the delicate tracery of their branching when exposed, leafless in winter, endear them not only to the artist and the poet, but to us all." The work of George Simonds Boulger (1853-1922), English botanist, Professor of Natural History at the Royal Agricultural College, and Kew Gardens Correspondent of The Times, Familiar Trees invites dendrophiles of all levels to acquaint themselves with their arboreal neighbors, offering informative botanical, historical, mythological, and geographical details, with excerpts from herbals, quotes from fellow botanists, and verse from the likes of Byron and Shakespeare throughout. The crowning beauty of this first edition set can be found in its illustrations, numbering a total of 80 splendidly and dynamically colored chromolithographic plates by watercolorist William Henry James Boot (1848-1918), as well as large decorative initials and related tailpieces for each tree represented. Handsomely bound in forest green calfskin and pebble-grain cloth and boasting the first edition's 80 chromolithographic plates, this is a quite presentable set of Boulger's Familiar Trees. 7 3/4" X 5 5/8". xvi, 160pp, xvi, 168pp, plus 16 pages of ads to each volume. Presents nicely in protective archival jackets. Halfbound in green calfskin with matching pebble-grain cloth over boards, with 5 floral gilt compartments to each spine, lettered in kind over a burgundy Morocco title label. Rather heavy edgewear to bindings, with heavy rubbing to corners, head and tail of spine, and weakened external hinges. Scrapes to calfskin at top corners of both volumes. Front hinge starting to crack to Volume One. Bindings remain sound and text blocks are firm and tight. All edges marbled, with matching endpapers. Light scattered foxing throughout, else pages are clean and unmarked. Illustrated in a total of 80 chromolithograph plates by W. H. J. Boot throughout, along with large decorative initials and tailpieces for each tree represented. This first edition set, undated but published 1885-1888, is complete in two volumes as issued, though 20 years later the set was expanded to 3 volumes, with photographic plates added. Seller Inventory # 16792

Bibliographic Details

Title: Familiar Trees, First and Second Series
Publisher: Cassell & Company, London
Publication Date: 1888
Binding: Leather_bound
Condition: Very good
Edition: First Edition.