Hill, John | First edition of A General Natural History in a contemporary binding

Hill, John

A General Natural History: or, New and Accurate Descriptions of the Animals, Vegetables, and Minerals of the Different Parts of the World. London: Thomas Osborne, 1748-1752

Three volumes, folio (354 x 228 mm). Title to each volume, sectional half-titles, folding letterpress table, 56 engraved plates; instance of mispagination with one or two leaves bound out of order, some marginal worming, closed tear to folding table neatly repaired, some foxing and browning, occasional offsetting, closed tear to text leaf Lii2 of Vol. II, dampstaining to final few leaves of Vol. III. Contemporary brown calf, spines with raised bands in seven compartments, second and third with gilt lettering pieces, others with overall decoration in gilt; worn with some loss, joints weak.

First edition. Sir John Hill was a renowned botanist who published a number of works including The Vegetable System, one of the first natural history books to utilize the Linnaean system of classification. This popular work comprises volumes addressing vegetables, animals and minerals: "as they were printed, published and often bound uniformly the three volumes are sometimes considered to comprise one work; Hill himself, however, makes it perfectly clear that each volume is in itself complete without the others" (Lisney).

REFERENCES

Anker 210; Freeman 1672; Henrey 809; Johnston 420; Nissen ZBI 1939; Stafleu TL2 2767

PROVENANCE

Mary Masterman (early ownership signatures to titles or section titles) — Allan George Nicholson (bookplates to front pastedowns)