Old Books:

Differences in Plates

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Differences in Plates

Differences in Bindings

Printing & Binding

Plates from four editions of "The Flowers Personified" by JJ Granville.

The background color is a result of  foxing and toning of the plates in the various volumes. The three English editions have the name of the flower in English, French and Latin at the bottom of the page.

It is difficult to see at this size and resolution but some of the color & style differences are the bodices, the flowers at the waist and in the hair, the wings, the ground and the urn.

There is another edition (French, I think) that has elaborate arches and borders around the drawings, but I don't have that one (yet).

Pansy - 1847

Pansy - 1847

Pansy - 1849

Pensee - French (no date)

The French books are about half the size of the American editions but have been photographed at about the same size to show the differences. The plates in this book look quite different, not only in color, but in the drawings themselves. (Note the face and ground.) I am not sure that these were hand-colored as there is a sheen over the colors that looks as if they were spot varnished.