The Flora Graeca Story
Sibthorp, Bauer, and Hawkins in the Levant
Published on 5. November 1998
Book
Hardback
360 pages
978-0-19-854897-3 (ISBN)
Description
This is the first scholarly treatise that tells the remarkable story behind the making of the Flora Graeca, the monumental collection of illustrations and descriptions of plants in Greece, Cyprus and Turkey. First described by Dioskorides in the sixth century, the flora and fauna of the Levant was neglected until the gentlemen botanists-naturalists John Sibthorp and John Hawkins, accompanied by illustrator Ferdinand Bauer, travelled there. Bauer produced a class of paintings superior to anthing of their kind in existence then, and his work was to become one of the most valuable treasures of the University of Oxford. Based on the original diaries, letters, and specimens, this fine work is illustrated with the original illustrations which are still housed at the Department of Plant Sciences there.
Reviews / Votes
Walter Lack's biography of Flora Graeca and the preceding Prodromus is a masterpiece of meticulous scholarship, expertly compiled and superbly written. * Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 1999 * ...books as this one are essential, that more of their kind are needed because they are vital for our proper understanding of the ways in which our knowledge of the world around us, and of those parts of the world that are far from home, came about. * OPTIMA Newsletter, No. 34, July 1999 * ...an exquisitely illustrated wonder-book of legendary beauty and rarity. * Financial Times, 4th September 1999 * A much-needed and magnificent history of John Sibthorp (1758-96) and his ten-volume "Flora Graeca" (1806-40) and especially of his extensive exploratory journeys with John Hawkins. * Rudolf Schmid, Taxon * Walter Lack's biography of "Flora Graeca"... is a masterpiece of meticulous scholarship, expertly compiled and superbly written.... I cannot praise Professor Lack's achievement too highly. * E. Charles Nelson, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society* The "Flora Graeca Story" is a remarkable tale of drama and conflict, but above all of perseverance, excellence, and dedication.... A well-structured, eminently readable, and beautifully illustrated book - an altogether admirable achievement. * Arne Strid, Nordic Journal of Botany
* Bauer's plates are the best part of it... * Blumea *
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
16 plates, 52 halftones, 6 maps
Dimensions
Height: 284 mm
Width: 230 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
1087 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-854897-3 (9780198548973)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Content
Introduction ; Complexities of discovery ; Physicians and apothecarians ; Levant lunatics ; Expeditions ; Linnaean revolutions ; Sibthorp - the early years ; Bauer - the early years ; Hawkins - the early years ; Sibthorp - the first journey ; Hawkins's first journey ; Sibthorp - the years between ; Bauer's work for Sibthorp and Hawkins ; Hawkins - the years between ; Hawkins's second journey ; Sibthorp's second journey ; Sibthorp - the final months ; The collections, drawings and notes ; Hawkins - home the sailor ; The publication of the results ; Epilogue ; References ; Appendices