Leguminosae - Cassia occidentalis - Cassia barbadensis, pinnis foliorum mucronatis, calyce floris non reflexo From: Historia plantarum rariorum by John Martyn. London, 1728 [-1737]. Mezzotint engraving printed in colours and finished by hand, dedicated to St Peter’s College, Cambridge, engraved by Elisha Kirkall after Jacob van Huysum (sheet 340 x 510 mm; impression 252 x 380 mm; under passe-partout). Text missing. € 400 The collection of English flower prints properly commences with a rather amazing item. In 1728 John Martyn published his Historia Plantarum Rariorum. It contained no less than fifty colour printed mezzotints by Kirkall after paintings by Van Huysem, These are the first recorded examples of botanical plates printed in colour. Each plate is dedicated to some famous botanist or well known gardener and is decorated with his coat of arms (Dunthorne). Most of the plates are printed in two colours, some in more, in a single pull and finished by water-colour. All plates were engraved by Elisha Kirkall after paintings by Jacob van Huysum and some others. The book describes and pictures various new plants growing at Chelsea Physic Garden and the Cambridge Botanic Garden. * Pritzel 5921; Dunthorne 193; Blunt pp. 132-133; Nissen BBI 1289; Great flower books p. 67; Hunt 476; Henrey 1016; Stafleu & Cowan 5563.

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