James Bateman

A monograph of odontoglossum. London: L. Reeve and Co., 1874

FIRST EDITION, folio (515 x 365mm.), half-title, dedicat💝ion, 30 hand-coloured lithographed plates by and after Walter Hood Fitch, dark green half morocco by Sangorski and Sut♈cliffe

The work evidences Fitch's "incredible ability in dealing with complex botanical structures" (Blunt, The Art of Botanical Illustration, p.249). Originally an apprentice to a calico design firm in Glasg🐟ow, Fitch attracted the attention of Sir William Hooker, then director of Kew Gardens. In 1841, Sir William invited Fitch to Kew, where he worked industriously for the next fifty years both as draughtsman and lithographer on various botanical publications and mo෴nographs, including the present work and those by Sir William's son, Joseph.

LITERATURE:

Great Flower Books, p.49; Nissen BBI 88; Stafleu TL2 343