Flora and Pomona; or, the British Fruit and Flower Garden: Containing Descriptions of the Most Valuable and Interesting Flowers and Fruits Cultivated in the Gardens of Great Britain. with Figures Drawn and Coloured from Nature; Accompanied by a Concise Analysis of Their Botanical and Pomonological Character, Thei - 1829

London: Printed for Thomas Kelly, 1829. First edition. Quarto (10 1/2 x 8 1/8 inches; 265 x 206 mm)With 71 beautiful hand-colored engraved plates of fruits and flowers. 36 of which are fruit and 35 of which are flowers. Flower plates and fruit plates numbered in separate sequence. Each plate with tissue guard. Fruit plates 11 and 12 bound out of order.

Contemporary quarter morocco over watered silk boards. Spine stamped and lettered in gilt. Green drab endpapers. Outer joints cracking but holding firm. Corners rubbed and bumped. Silk a bit soiled. Previous owner's signature on top margin of title-page. Some foxing and offsetting, but mainly to text pages and tissue guards. Plates are generally very clean and vibrant. Overall a very good copy.

"In 1829 M'Intosh was offered and accepted the post of gardener to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg at Claremont, Esher, Surrey. He later accompanied Leopold when he became sovereign to Greece and subsequently to Brussels when Leopold became king of Belgium. M'Intosh spent seven years between Claremont and Brussels, spending three to nine months at each place at any one time. He built the range of hothouses at Lechan, altered much of the grounds, and laid out a new kitchen garden. He travelled over a large part of Belgium, reporting on the progress of horticulture and agriculture, having carte blanche to visit every establishment in the kingdom... M'Intosh became known to Princess Victoria while he was at Claremont. He also showed the grounds to Prince Albert on his first arrival in England... While at Claremont, M'Intosh wrote Flora and Pomona (1829-31, with coloured illustrations of fruits and flowers) but his frequent visits to Belgium interfered so much with that work that he gave up the book when he had only completed one volume." (Oxford DNB).

Nissen, BBI, 1236.

HBS 68738.

$5,000.