5 (of 6) volumes, comprising all five of six parts. Lacking Volume 1, Part II. xi, [1], (17)-110; xvi, (17)-104; (105)-199, [1]; x, (11)-98; (99)-197, [1] pp. With 46 (of 60) plates, most printed in color, some finished by hand, several are wholly colored by hand. Lacking plates 1, 2, 3, & 8 from first part, and all 10 plates included in the lacking second part (plate numbers 11-20). (8vo) 27x18 cm (10¼x7"), original printed boards. First Edition.
This is the first book with color-printed plates made in America and the first color-plate American botanical (along with Barton's Vegetable materia medica). "Bigelow originally intended to illustrate his massive work in traditional fashion with hand-colored copperplates...Finding this process too slow and expensive, Bigelow searched for a method that would allow the swift and easy application of color directly onto the plate" (Norman). The technique, a sort of aquatint, was developed independently of any knowledge of lithography. Richard Wolfe identified the first state by the presence of only hand-colored plates in Part I, as in this copy. Many copies have mixed hand-colored/color-printed plates (see Wolfe's monograph on this edition, 1979). Present is Volume I, Part 1, and Volume II, Parts 1 & 2. Volume III, Parts 1 & 2. Sold as is. Garrison/Morton 1842; Norman 234; Reese American Color Plate Books 9; Sabin 5294.
Condition:
Front board of Vol. I, Part 1 missing; spines perished, volumes largely disbound, first title-page detached with loss, one repair; offsetting, darkening, foxing and some stains to many plates (the 10 plates in Vol. II, Part 1 are clean); sold with all faults.