Hoffmann

1785 · réf. M2H99OL1K649 — Leipzig: Siegfried Leberecht Crusius 1785. Blue sprinkled paper over boards vol. 1 and limp grey paper wrappers stab-sewn through the wrappers vol. 2. Preserved in a professionaly handmade box made for this book. Folio. With 24 engraved plates in vol. 1 numbered 1-24 and 6 engraved plates in vol. 2 numbered 25-29 31: all published all signed by I. Nuszbiegel after originals by the author except plate 31 which is signed by Johann Stephan Capieux. 2 volumes. Both volumes of the first and only edition of Hoffmann's monograph on willows published in instalments from 1785 to 1791 including the series of 30 engraved plates numbered as 31 made to accompany them showing willows their branches leaves and flowers. He describes different kinds of willows their varieties habitat and sizes. All descriptions refer to the plates so that readers could use them together.Georg Franz Hofmann was a German botanist and physician. He first served as professor of botany in Erlangen then professor of botany and director of the botanical garden in Göttingen. Finally he went to Moscow where he continued his botanical studies taking charge of the Imperial Academy of Science's botanical garden and herbarium.Plate 30 is never mentioned in the text or bibliographies so it was apparently never published or was misnumbered “31”.With manuscript owner's inscriptions on the title-page of instalment 1 and on the title-page of vol. 1. With the title-page to vol. 1 misbound between instalments 3 and 4. Binding of vol. 1 slightly worn corners bumped. Paper wrappers of vol. 2 slightly frayed at the corners. With a small professional restoration to the foot of the spine. With some minor stains in each volume but still in good condition. Both volumes rarely found together of a remarkable monograph on willows with all the plates.l Hunt II 678; Johnston 565; Nissen BBI 893; Pritzel 4127; Stafleu & Cowan II 2879. Siegfried Leberecht Crusius, hardcover