Library Images

British books dedicated to the rose illustrated by either the author or a commissioned artist.

The following list of books are illustrated in colour by an artist rather than a photographer. They have been illustrated by the author or commissioned for the book. (Two exceptions which I have included are The King Penguin and ‘A Garden of Roses’ edited by Graham Stuart Thomas. The first includes Redoute illustrations and the second illustrations by Alfred Parsons.

‘A Collection of Roses from Nature’ (1799) Mary Lawrence

‘Roses: or a Monograph of the Genus Rosa’ (!805’1828) H.C. Andrews

‘Rosarium Monographia: or a botanical history of roses’ (1820,1830) John Lindley

‘The Rose Garden’ (1848) William Paul.

‘Beauities of the Rose’ (1850,1853) Henry Curtis

‘The Amateur’s Rose Book’ (1874) Shirley Hibberd

‘Roses and their Culture’ (1892) W.D. Prior

‘Roses and their Cultivation’ (1899) T.W. Sanders

‘Roses’ (1911) H.R. Darlington

‘Beautiful Roses for Gardens and Greenhouse’ (1903) John Weathers’

‘The Amateur Gardener’s Rose book’ (1905) Julius Hoffmann

‘Roses and Rose Gardens’ (1911) Walter P. Wright

‘Genus Rosa’ (1914) Ellen Willmott

‘Rose Gardening: how to manage roses and enjoy them’ (1921) Mary Hampden

‘A Book of Roses’ (1939) J. Ramsbottom

‘Old Garden Roses’ (1955, 1957) Sitwell, Russell and Blunt

‘Collins Guide to Roses’ (1956) Bertram Park

‘Climbing Roses Old and New (1965) Graham Stuart Thomas

‘Roses’ (1965) Anne Ophelia Dowden and Richard Thomson

‘Methuen Handbook of Roses’ (1966) Eigil Kiaer

‘Roses’ (1969) C.C. Harris

‘Roses’ (1971) Ludvik Vecera

‘Shrub Roses for Every Garden’ (1973) Michael Gibson

‘Shrub Roses of Today’ (1974) Graham Stuart Thomas

‘Roses’ (1976) Kenneth A. Beckett

‘The Book of the Rose’ (1980) Michael Gibson

‘A Garden of Roses’ (1987) edited by Graham Stuart Thomas

‘The Complete Flower Paintings and Drawings of Graham Stuart Thomas (1987)

‘The Concise Illustrated Book of Roses’ (1989) Beatrix Hamilton

‘Roses in a Suffolk Garden’ (1990) Josephine Walpole

‘A Little Book of Old Roses’ (1992) Hazel le Rougetel

‘The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book’ (1994) Graham Stuart Thomas

‘A Little Book of Modern Roses’ (1995) Hazel le Rougetel

‘Roses’ (1996) Lindsay Bousfield

‘Roses: a celebration (2003) Wayne Winterrowd

‘Rosie Sander’s Roses: a celebration in botanical art (2009) Rosie Sanders

British books dedicated to the rose illustrated by either the author or a commissioned artist. Read More »

Small and beautiful . . . . .

Recently I added some of the coffee table books to this online library. In contrast I have looked out a few of the small books to add. On average these measure 10cm by 15cm. They vary in age going from the 19th century to the late 20th century. I think you will agree that each has its own merits in appearance but surely you cannot beat the title ‘Roses: a celebration in words and paintings’. Something I would like to do every day in the very same way that this book has done.

Small and beautiful . . . . . Read More »

Beautiful covers and spines.

Although dust jackets have been around for nearly 200 years for the protection of book covers it was not until the 20th century that they arrived in all their artistic glory. Prior to this, many books had ornate and artistic tooled bindings. In the case of rose books this disguised the fact that there were few illustrations within. Black and white woodcut illustrations were quite common but colourful illustrations were very expensive to produce so were rarely included. Occasionally two editions of a book were printed as in the case of ‘A Book about Roses’; a Popular Edition and a Presentation Edition. The :Popular Edition contained the text but had no painted rose frontispiece or gold embossing on the cover. It was, however, cheaper and more affordable for a wider public.

I have included here a selection of the ornate 19th century rose books in the library. Some I have included before but one or two I think are worthy of a repeat performance!

The attractive spines.

‘Amateurs Rose Book (1894) Shirley Hibberd.

‘The Rose Book’ 1913) H. H. Thomas.

‘A Book about Roses’ (1869) 18th Ed. Twentieth Century.

‘The Book of Roses’ (1922) Louis Durand.

‘A Book about Roses’ (1869) 1st Ed.

‘Cultivated Roses’ (1899) Sanders T.W.

‘Beauties of the Rose’ (1850-1853) Henry Curtis.

Beautiful covers and spines. Read More »

A few early dust-jackets.

The very first dust-jackets, around 1850, were plain brown paper coverings purely to keep the books clean. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century they became more attractive but the rose book coverings had to wait until later in the century.

A few early dust-jackets. Read More »

Some of the Rose Books from the 19th century.

A number of these books had beautiful covers and spines with impressed gold and colourful decoration.

Some of the Rose Books from the 19th century. Read More »

Rose books on my shelves

Rose books on my shelves Read More »

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