GALLESIO, Giorgio

GALLESIO, Giorgio. Pomona Italiana, ossia trattato degli alberi fruttiferi

Pisa, Co’ Caratteri de’ FF. Amoretti, 1817-1839., 1839.

SOLD

FIRST EDITION. Folio. Issues from 1 to 38 (of 41). All the stipple-engraved plates are missing (printed in colour and finished by hand, including one double-page, 2 full-page engraved plates by Giuseppe Pera, Giuseppe Carocci, Tommaso Nasi, Francesco Corsi and others, after Domenico del Pino, Antonio Serantoni, Isabella Bozzolini and others). One of the five copies, or sets of fascicules bound in original wrappers, ordered by Lord Bristol. Lord Bristol was one of the subscribers to this magnificent work. As visible from the dedication handwritten in pen on each volume, this copy was a present for Thomas Andrew Knight (1759-1838), the well-known horticulturalist and botanist, who was also the second President of the Royal Horticultural Society.

THE FINEST ITALIAN WORK ON FRUITS. As well as being a dedicated botanist, Gallesio was an esteemed lawyer and civil servant. He is famous for conducting experiments in his orchards at Savona, which were later reference by Charles Darwin to illustrate his theory of natural selection in the development of varieties.

Dunthorne 118: “a very fine work”; Great Flower Books pp. 92-95; Oak Spring Pomona 52; Nissen BBI 683.