Author: Pfeiffer, Louis and Otto, Fr.
Title: Abbildung und Beschreibung blühender Cacteen. Figures des Cactées en fleur peintes et lithographiées d'après nature (two volumes complete bound in one volume)
Description: Cassel: Theodor Fischer, 1843-1850. First edition. Pp. 150+, 60 hand-colored plates (plate 14 in the second volume is in fine color facsimile), the original printed blue wrappers are bound in place for the parts in volume 2, many original tissue guards are in place. Each plate is accompanied by 2-3 leaves of descriptive text. Early one-half black morocco leather, spine with five raised bands and lettered in gilt in three compartments, over green cloth-covered boards, green tinted marbled endpapers, small folio (330 x 260mm). This rare work was issued by subscription in 12 parts – each part contained five hand-colored plates. In this copy the two volumes are bound together in one volume. As with all copies, the plates show foxing due to the low quality of the paper used. The text is presented in both German and French. According to Junk, Rara, p. 68: This is the only iconography of the Cacteen - at least until the year of its completion - that is complete. The author, Louis Pfeiffer (1805-1877), was a doctor who lived in Kassel, Germany. He examined the cactus species cultivated in the largest botanical gardens in Germany based on the living material himself. He also consulted with Prince von Salm-Reyfferscheid-Dyck, the first expert on succulent plants. See also: Great Flower Books (1990), p. 125; Nissen BBI, 1524; Stafleu & Cowan 7817; Pritzel 7108 and De Belder 278. There is some foxing and browning to some of the hand-colored plates in volume 1, this is due to the poor quality of the paper used; nearly all the plates in volume 2 are bright and clean, only a few shows light foxing. The fine morocco binding is very bright and clean, two of the four marbled endpapers some light browning. Overall, a tight and clean copy in very good condition..

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