The Gigantic Swallow-wort, or Auricula tree of the East & West Indies.

Andrews, Henry C. The Gigantic Swallow-wort or Auricula tree. "Asclepias gigantea." London: Printed by T. Bensley, and published by the author, No 5 Knightsbridge. 1797-1815
Original coloured engraving of the Gigantic Swallow-wort or Auricula tree from Henry Andrew's " The Botanist's Repository, for New, and Rare Plants". Dated 1803.
The plate shows the Gigantic Swallow-wort or Auricula tree a native of the East & West Indies. Printed in black and coloured by hand by Andrews; lightly toned; some light offset from text; light damp drop at upper edge.

Henry Charles Andrews (fl. 1794 - 1830), was an English botanist, botanical artist and engraver.

He lived in Knightsbridge and was married to the daughter of John Kennedy of Hammersmith, a nurseryman who assisted Andrews in the descriptions of the plants he illustrated.

He was an accomplished and unusual botanical artist, in that he was not only the artist, but also engraver, colourist, and publisher in an era when most artists were only employed to draw plates. The Botanist's Repository was his first publication; issued serially in London in ten volumes between 1797 and 1812, the Repository at a half-crown an issue, provided affordable images of plants to the growing population of amateur gardeners in Britain. This was the first serious rival to the Kew publication, Curtis's Botanical Magazine. It "made a contribution of lasting importance to the literature of botany and horticulture by providing records and means of identification of a great diversity of beautiful and interesting plants, many of them new to science"(Quinby and Stevenson).

Andrews' monumental work is an early example of colour printing and the first printed representation of many exotic species. It was issued (notionally at least) in 137 monthly parts. Most of the descriptions in vols. 1-5 are by John Kennedy; those in vol. 6 are by Adrian Hardy
Haworth (ESTC); Dunthorne 8, Nissen 2382. 267 by 210mm (10½ by 8¼ inches).   ref: 2421  €100