Beschreibung:

PLÉE, AUGUSTE and FRANÇOIS. [Herborisations artificielles aux environs de Paris. Paris: chez les auteurs, 1811]. 8vo, 204 x 130 mm., later quarter calf gilt, contemporary red morocco label lettered in gilt "A. Plée" on upper cover, a few small wormholes to joints, upper inner hinge cracked, without title and text, 95 plates only, foxing to plate [8], minor stain to pl. [26], light offsetting (from a text leaf no longer present) to pl. [91] . 95 (of 100?) finely hand-colored engraved plates of plants from the Île de France, by and after the Plées, father and son. A contemporary inscription on front flyleaf attributes the coloring to one of the Plées. Brunet IV, 712; Nissen 1534; Pritzel 7195; Stafleu & Cowan TL2 8052. A rare work, originally issued in parts and possibly never completed. Stafleu & Cowan call for 100 plates (and 8 ll. text), Nissen for 104, Pritzel or 99, etc. The publisher's wrappers, covers, not present here, list 3 issues: with anatomical details colored only, fully colored, and fully colored on papier grand raisin vélin . This copy is from the fully colored issue on ordinary paper. No copies have appeared at auction since the present copy was sold in 1975. Stafleu and Cowan list an copy with 40 plates at the Geneva Jardin botanique and a copy with 100 plates at the New York Botanical Gardens only. Provenance : Arpad Plesch, bookplate (sale, Sotheby's London, 18 November, 1975, lot 603) -- Robert de Belder.