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Botanical, Art, Garden Flowers, Heaths, Andrews, Antique Prints, London, 1794-1830

$1,400

Henry Cranke Andrews (act. 1794-1830) (artist and engraver)
T. Bensley (printer)
Erica, curviflora rubra
Erica kibbertia
Erica mutabilis
Erica calycina major

from Coloured Engravings of Heaths
H.C. Andrews, London: 1794-1830
Hand-colored engravings
11 x 9 inches, plate mark, average approximate
17 x 11 inches, overall, average approximate
$1,400, set of 4

Four botanical prints of species of the genus Erica, commonly known as heath or heather. They are from a monograph by Henry Cranke Andrews, for which he drew, engraved and hand-colored the prints and wrote most of the text. For each specimen, a central drawing made from a living plant is accompanied by small illustrations of the constituent parts that differentiate the species. Heathers became popular garden plants in 18th-century England. Along with native species from the British Isles, so-called Cape heaths, imported from South Africa, were particularly prized. 

Product description continues below.

Description

Botanists E. Charles Nelson and Michael D. Pirie describe the craze for heathers that inspired publications of prints by Andrews and others:

Undoubtedly the fashion for Cape heaths which raged for around half a century from the 1780s stimulated the cultivation of hardy species too. This phenomenal horticultural craze, akin to the previous century’s tulipomania (without the final financial crash), resulted in the production of innumerable artificial hybrids and also a procession of expensive, hand-coloured books portraying them. Cape heaths, however, were not easy to cultivate successfully and were slowly squeezed out of gardens in the second half of the 19th century. 

Henry Cranke Andrews was an English botanist, botanical artist, and engraver, unusual among artists for engraving, hand coloring, writing, and publishing his own books rather than being employed only to draw plates. (Note: He signed his work H.C. Andrews and prior to 2017, when his marriage records were found, the middle initial was assumed to stand for Charles.) His first publication was the Botanists Repository, issued in ten volumes between 1797 and 1812, providing affordable images of plants for amateur gardeners. His major work is Coloured Engravings of Heaths, published in four volumes between 1794 and 1830. Other publications include, The Heathery (1804-1812), Geraniums (1805-1806), and Roses (1805-1828).

Condition: Each generally very good with the usual overall light toning, wear, handling. 

References:

Andrews, H.C. Coloured Engravings of Heaths, Vol. 1. Printed by T. Bensley. London: H.C. Andrews, 1802. Online at Biodiversity Heritage Library: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/51136 (2 June 2022).

Dunthorne, Gordon. Flower and Fruit Prints of the 18th and Early 19th Centuries. Their History, Makers and Uses, with a Catalogue Raisonne of the Works in Which They are Found. Washington, D.C.: Published by the Author, 1938. 9.

“Henry Cranke Andrews.” Wikipedia. 23 April 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Cranke_Andrews (2 June 2022).

Nelson, E. Charles and Michael D. Pirie. “Where have all the heathers gone?” Sibbladia. 2022. pp. 2-3. https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2989267 (2 June 2022).

 Pritzel, Georg August. Thesaurus Literaturae Botanicae Omnium Gentium. Milan: 1950. 175.

Stafleu, Frans A. and Richard S. Cowan. Taxonomic Literature. Utrecht: 1967. 2nd ed., Utrecht: 1976-1988. 134.

Additional information

Century

19th Century