1926 The Flora of Buckinghamshire: With Biographical Notices of Those Who Have Contributed to its Botany During the Last Three Centuries

Description

Author's Presentation Copy, Colour Plates, First Edition, Folding Maps, Illustrated, Publishers' Original Binding, Signed, With Letter

George Claridge Druce was a notable English botanist and later Mayor of Oxford, who is best known as being one of the few people to publish a work about Flora in more than one county. Indeed, beginning in 1886 Druce published such works centering on the counties of Oxfordshire ('The Flora of Oxfordshire'), Berkshire ('The Flora of Berkshire'), West Ross ('The Flora of West Ross'), and this work on Buckinghamshire ('The Flora of Buckinghamshire'). This copy contains a tipped in letter to the front pastedown in Druce's own hand, on 'Botanical Society and Exchange Club of the British Isles' headed paper. The letters are dated 'Jan 7 1927' and are addressed to Edward James Salisbury. This copy also features Salisbury's signature to the title page. Salisbury notably served as the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew from 1943 to 1956, and was responsible for the restoration of the gardens after the Second World War. Moreover, he was also a notable authority on forest ecology (specifically in his native Hertfordshire), and pioneered investigations of seed size and reproductive output of plants in relation to habitat. Collated, complete with three black and white plates, and a coloured map loosely inserted a pocket to the rear pastedown of the work. This copy also contains an additional black and white photographic image of the 'Valley of Aylesbury' tipped to the rear free-endpaper.