farfel_n01_119_053

53
S.F. Book Fair
Charles W. Traylen
Sept. '76 $4.00

John Gerard (1545- Feb. 1612)
The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes ....
Heurey 154 1597 Imprinted at London by John Norton.
Nissen- 698 S.T.C. 11750 (E. Bolli font f. B. a. J. Norton) 13 x 8 5/8 inches
Hunt 175 The 'Herball' in a massive volume, in clear roman
1636 See #275 #390 type, contrasting markedly with the black letter used in
the works of Turner + Lyte, + giving the book a
much more modern appearance. It contains about 1800
woodcuts, nearly all from blocks used by (Theodorus, Jacobus)
Tabernaemontanus in his 'eicones' of 1590, which
Norton obtained from Frankfort; less than 1% are
original. There is an illustration representing the Virginian
Potato, which appears to be new, + is perhaps the 1st
figure of this plant ever published.

Sold 1975 - $625

Between 1530 + 1630 the number of sets of wood engravings
which were pre - eminent wa strictly limited. There were
only 5 sets of woodcuts of plants of really first - rate
importance - Brunfels, Fuchs, Mattioli, Plantin, +
Gesner + Camerarius.

- most of the 1800 woodcuts used were taken from earlier Herbals.

John Parkinson (1567-1650) - apothecary to James I + botanist
to Charles I. the illustrations to the Theatrum Botanicum
are chiefly copied from those of Gerard.

Gerard's herball ed. Marcus Woodward

[inserted] Many copies fo this herbal were
treasured in English homes for well over 200 yrs. -
as a guide for fold medicine [end inserted]
The "virtues" of the plants made this the "Home Book of
Medicine" for every possible ailment.

John Norton - alderman, Printer to Queen Elizabeth in
Latin + Greek, was also the first to establish a press
at the college of Eton.

Gerard - a Barber - Sungeon - employed his energies
Chiefly upon horticulture.