Wild Hyacinth or Bluebell, Antique British Botanical Plate, circa 1873

This is an original antique botanical plate, Plate 223 from Volume V of Anne Pratt's The Flowering Plants, Grasses, Sedges, and Ferns of Great Britain, circa 1873, showing the bluebell and two related bulbs. The caption names Variegated Simethis (Simethis bicolor), Wild Hyacinth or Blue Bell (Agraphis nutans) and Starch Grape Hyacinth (Muscari racemosum).

The wild hyacinth or bluebell arches across the right of the sheet, a curved stem of nodding pale blue bells over long strap leaves, rising from a round bulb drawn at the foot. The starch grape hyacinth stands at the left as a dense spike of small blue flowers with paler buds at the tip, above narrow leaves flushed pink at the base and a brown bulb. In the center the variegated simethis carries small star shaped flowers, white and yellowish within and flushed pink outside, on fine branching stems above a tuft of roots.

The plate comes from The Flowering Plants, Grasses, Sedges, and Ferns of Great Britain, the six volume flora for which Anne Pratt (1806 to 1893) wrote the text and drew the plants. It was published in London by Frederick Warne and Co., Bedford Street, Covent Garden, for the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, circa 1873, with Scribner, Welford and Armstrong as the New York house. This sheet belongs to Volume V, whose title page records 237 species in color. The plates were printed in color by William Dickes of London, a licensee of George Baxter's color process.

Even age toning. Marked handling soiling along the bottom, right and top edges. A row of small nicks along the bottom edge. A few small foxing spots in the margins. Slight wear at the bottom right corner.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.