Discovery of an exceptional work on medical botany

The world of antiquarian books is often marked by mysteries and unexpected discoveries. My acquisition of a folio copy of François-Pierre Chaumeton's Flore médicale, featuring illustrations in double state – in colour and in bistre –, led me to a fascinating investigation into the origins of this work, which is not recorded in the traditional bibliographies.

The Flore médicale, published between 1814 and 1818 under Chaumeton's direction, is a major work of nineteenth-century illustrated botany. Chaumeton oversaw the edition until 1818, before his death in 1819. This first edition is usually completed by an additional volume, Essai d'une iconographie élémentaire et philosophique des végétaux, published in Paris by Panckoucke in 1820 by Pierre-Jean-François Turpin, the work's principal illustrator.

The known print runs of our copy break down as follows:

• 2,000 copies in Octavo format;
• 20 copies in Quarto format;
• 5 copies in Folio format;
• 2 special copies in Folio format on vellum skin, intended respectively for Louis XVIII and Francis I of Austria.

My copy, in Folio format and featuring illustrations in double state (colour and bistre), corresponds to none of these descriptions, which prompted my interest in learning more about its origin.

To solve this mystery, I undertook a series of enquiries with various institutions:

• Austrian National Library: I first examined the copy intended for Francis I of Austria, printed on vellum skin. This copy likewise features illustrations in double state (colour and bistre), a detail not mentioned by bibliographers, and its illustrations are of the same size.
• Morgan Library: This institution's Quarto copy does not include illustrations in double state. Moreover, the illustration borders are printed in black, unlike the hand-gilt borders present in our copy and in that of the Austrian National Library.

The illustrations in the Flore médicale are for the most part the work of Pierre-Jean-François Turpin, known for his detailed drawings executed "a.l.l." (à la loupe, i.e. under a magnifying glass). Although his works are generally small in scale, a notable exception (in which the illustrations are larger in format) appeared at a Sotheby's auction on 29 November 2023. That copy, likewise unknown to bibliographers, came from the same collection as mine, that of the Lemot family. It sold for €152,400.

In addition, Ernestine Panckoucke, wife of the publisher Charles-Louis-Fleury Panckoucke and a pupil of the celebrated Gérard van Spaendonck and Pierre-Joseph Redouté, contributed to the illustration and colouring of the plates.

The Lemot family, to which the sculptor François-Frédéric Lemot belonged – responsible in particular for the monument to Henri IV on the Pont Neuf in Paris – was close to the Panckoucke family. This privileged connection may explain the origin of this particular printing, potentially reserved for those close to the publisher. The existence of this copy and of the one sold at Sotheby's tends to suggest that a confidential Folio printing may have existed outside the known channels.

Several hypotheses may be considered regarding the origin of the copy:

• A feature specific to the 5 Folio copies?: it is conceivable that the 5 Folio-format copies were printed with the plates in double state, although no bibliographer has mentioned this to date.
• An undocumented Limited deluxe edition or special commission?: It is possible that this copy belongs to a Limited deluxe edition that remained confidential, perhaps produced specially for the inner circle of the Panckoucke family, which would explain its absence from the traditional bibliographies.

Despite the research undertaken, the exact origin of this Folio copy of the Flore médicale remains uncertain until I have had the opportunity to examine another Folio-format copy. The similarities with the copy belonging to Francis I of Austria and the particularities of its production do at any rate suggest a prestige printing.

I am therefore continuing my investigations and invite anyone with further information to contact me, in order to solve the mystery surrounding this fascinating work. Who knows, perhaps one of you owns a Folio-format copy?