{"id":16852,"date":"2025-09-26T14:45:35","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T21:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/?post_type=book&p=16852"},"modified":"2025-09-26T14:54:06","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T21:54:06","slug":"the-botanical-register","status":"publish","type":"book","link":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/book\/the-botanical-register\/","title":{"rendered":"The Botanical Register"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sydenham Edwards was born the small town of Brynbuga (Usk in English) in southeast Wales in 1768.\u00a0 His father was a schoolteacher and church organist.\u00a0 By the time he was only 10 or 11, he began copying botanical illustrations.<\/p>\n

By happenstance, a friend of William Curtis visited the area and was impressed by the boy\u2019s work.\u00a0 After seeing some examples, Curtis invited Edwards to London to train his obvious skill.\u00a0 They became close friends, typically going together on botanical collecting trips.\u00a0 Edwards became the principal artist for The Botanical Magazine<\/em><\/a> and of the over 1,700 illustrations in the first 28 years of publication, he created all but 75.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He stayed\u00a0for 16 years after William Curtis died, but after a disagreement with the new editor, began his own publication,\u00a0The Botanical Register<\/em>, in 1815.\u00a0 Although he only lived another four years, the publication always had his name associated with it for its run of more than three decades.\u00a0 It is noteworthy for lengthy descriptions, in English and Latin, and information about origins of the plant used as the model.<\/p>\n

Edwards was prolific artist and had wide range of interests, including as a noted illustrator of birds, several works being exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts.\u00a0 In the January 2024 issue of The Orchid Review<\/em><\/a>, Clare Pritchard says his illustrations \u201chave aesthetic appeal without sacrificing botanical value, bringing plants to life from the page.\u201d\u00a0 Other than plants, he is best known today for his paintings of dogs.\u00a0 His book Cynographia Britannica<\/em> about the breeds of dogs at the time, is rare and highly valued.<\/p>\n

Reviewed by: Brian Thompson on September 15, 2025<\/p>\n

Excerpted from the Fall 2025 issue of the\u00a0Journal of the Book Club of Washington.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sydenham Edwards was born the small town of Brynbuga (Usk in English) in southeast Wales in 1768.\u00a0 His father was a schoolteacher and church organist.\u00a0 By the time he was only 10 or 11, he began copying botanical illustrations. By happenstance, a friend of William Curtis visited the area and was impressed by the boy\u2019s work.\u00a0 After seeing some examples, Curtis invited Edwards to London to train his obvious skill.\u00a0 They became close friends, typically going together on botanical collecting…<\/p>\n

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