THE BOTANY OF THE MALVERN HILLS, in the counties of Worcester, Hereford, and Gloucester; with the precise stations of the rare plants, and introductory observations on the general features, geology, and natural history of the district. London, Tilt and Bogue, Fleet Street; and H. Lamb, Malvern. [printed by P. White and Son.] [n.d. but
1843.]. 12mo, pp. viii, 64; lightly browned with some minor soiling and creasing, gutters slightly starting in a couple of places, but otherwise clean and crisp; in the original green limp publisher’s cloth, decorated in blind, title in gilt on upper cover, hinges starting but holding firm, covers a little soiled, with some light wear to extremities; with inscription on front endpaper ‘Theodora A Helyar, from W. H. Helyar with affectionate regard, July 25 1846’ and later somewhat illegible inscription; a good copy. Presumed first edition of this short botantical work highlighting the wealth of flora to be found in the Malvern Hills, and the work of local botanist, geologist and antiquarian Edwin Lees (1800-1887) from Powick, near Worcester. The work is dedicated to fellow local resident, physician and hematologist William Addison (1802-1881), who was at the time practising in Malvern, and is dated at the end of the preface ‘May 12th 1843’.
Lees was an active and well-known figure in the West Midlands, for many years a printer and bookseller, he became the first Secretary of the new established Worcester Literary and Scientific Institution in 1829, and was appointed as one of the first members of the Council of the Worcestershire Natural History Society in 1833, also serving as Secretary of the Horticultural Society. He was elected to the Botanical Society of Edinburgh in 1836, and as a Fellow of the Geological Society in 1857. This is one of a number of published works and articles.
Provenance: Theodora Adelaide Helyar (née de Resnel, 1818-1909) was part of the long-standing Somerset family of Coker Court, East Coker. W. H. was presumably her husband William Hawker Helyar (1812-1880).
Henry Lamb (fl. 1826-1861) was an artist and lithographer, who opened his Fancy Repository Shop in Cheltenham in around 1824. Itself a burgeoning spa town, with good links to London, Lamb soon opened a second shop in the town, and in 1832 published a peepshow of the town, ‘Cheltenhamorama’, and then in 1833 ‘Views of Cheltenham and its Vicinity’ (printed in Malvern), having previously published ‘Sketches of Malvern and its Vicinity’ in 1830. His links with London brought him into contact with the noted lithographers Charles Joseph Hullmandel (1789-1850) and Godefroy Engelmann (1788-1839). At some point he opened his ‘Royal Library and Bazaar’ in Malvern itself, which sold fancy items, books, and stationery. It was visited by Darwin’s young family during one of their early visits to the town.