(Santa Rosa): (The Luther Burbank Society), n.d. ca. 1913. A booklet invitation to join The Luther Burbank Society issued for the Society by its Secretary, Robert John. This also serves as a prospectus for the twelve volume set, LUTHER BURBANK: HIS METHODS AND DISCOVERIES AND THEIR PRACTICAL APPLICATION. Accompanying the pamphlet is a ca 1915 postcard showing the Luther Burbank display at the Gravenstein Apple Show held in Sebastopol. George Brittain, superintendent of Burbank’s Experimental grounds, is pictured in the postcard. Brittain is also featured in 6 of 7 original photos which accompany this pamphlet. The shots, described by penned notes on the back of each photo, are taken at the Burbank Experimental grounds. They range from Brittain’s arm displaying an 18 month old everbearing chestnut, Brittain with a large “Thornless Cactus,” to his working on grafting cherry trees. The final photo is of a “helper” in period dress with his grafting tools. With 7 Original photographs and a contemporary postcard. Small pamphlet, 15 x 12 cm; 24 pp. + 6 plates from photographs + final fold-out color photograph plate;WITH: 1 postcard and 7 original photographs measuring from 8 x 5.5.cm to 14 x 8 cm.

Yokohama: (The Yokohama Nursery Co., Ltd.), ca. 1890-1900. A beautifully preserved color lithographed horticultural catalogue from the Yokohama Nursery Company, justly famous for the attractiveness of its publications. “The Yokohama Nursery Company catalogues from the mid-1890s through the mid-1920s are impressive documents, written in English and beautifully illustrated with colored plates, line drawings, and photographs of classic Japanese plants.” (ARNOLDIA 64/2 -3, Del Tredici. “From Temple To Terrace” p. 4) In this offering of iris kaempferi there are only large full page illustrations, with examples identified in small type. There were apparently at least three different collections of the iris kaempferi presented in this format: one with 25 varieties, another with 100, and this one, with 18. The 18 flowers exhibited here are illustrated 2 to a page on 9 plates. The flower colors are in delicate shades of purple, pink and white, all printed against a delicate green printed background. The varieties in this particular collection include: Kumo-isho; Gekka-no-nami;Senjo-no-hora; Oyodo; Shippo; Momiji-no-taki; O-torige; Manadzuru; Tsuru-no kegoromo; Warei-hotei; Gei-sho-ui; Yezo-nishiki; Shiga-no-uranami; Shimoyo-no-tsuki; Kakujakuro; Shishi-ikari; Osho-kun;and Iso-no-nami. Very scarce, especially in this fine condition. With 18 Color Plates Folio (38 x 29 cm); 9 color lithographed plates measuring 83 x 29 cm., with 2 varieties per plate.

Paris: Emile-PAULE, 1920. First edition, presentation copy to Gordon Knox, signed by Forestier. “(Forestier’s) friends noted his talents and asked him to design their grounds, and as a preparatory study for this he planned seventeen imaginary gardens, which later formed the central portion of his book “Jardins”.” (Fox, Helen Morgenthau. in “Jean C.N. Forestier”, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, 1930, pp. 93). Forestier was Conservateur of the Paris parks, city planner, designer of modern gardens, such as the rose and iris gardens at Bagatelle in the Bois de Boulogne, and authority on the design of Spanish and Arabic gardens. In JARDINS, Forestier went beyond the imaginary gardens proposed for friends to cover details of his approach to terraces, lawns, stairs, fountains, bassins, benches and tilework. A long list of his recommendations for best roses is included. Additionally, he offers illustration and commentary on gardens that made his fame: that of Joseph Guy at Beziers; of Montjuich at the Barcelona exposition; and of La Casa Del Rey Moro in Andalousia. “In his designs, plants partially erase, rather than reinforce, the rigor of the plan. This play between the grace of the vine and the strict line of the post situated Forestier precisely at the juncture of the jardin à la française and the cubist/modernist garden.” (Imbert, THE MODERNIST GARDEN IN FRANCE, p. 25) A signed presentation copy Small folio (32.5 x 25.2 cm); 240 unnumbered pp., profusely illustrated from drawings and plans, full page and in text.

Paris: Flammarion, 1933. First edition. With compositions by Ruda; one of the early “Albums du Père Castor”, the artistically distinctive French children’s books directed by Paul Faucher, an enthusiastic follower of the Czeck pedagogue Frontiske Bakulé. The text provides instructions for transforming objects such as acorns, fruits, bark and twigs into small persons, animals and other familiar objects. There are twelve full page plates showing what school children constructed from branches, pine cones, beans, roots, etc. Ultimately, whole scenes were created including some from the fables of La Fontaine. The children reading the book are encouraged to make a voyage of discovery in nature and to use the powers of their imagination. A voyage of discovery in nature 28 x 24 cm; 28 p. with yellow printed boarders, including 12 full page plates of illustrations in color.

(Paris: chez Basset, rue St. Jacques, no. 64, ca, 1815). "Les Jeux d'Oie" have long been a venerable form of family entertainment, education and even propaganda. This particular version, the jeu instructif des fleurs, is pretty enough to be viewed as a game for young ladies (which it probably was), but John Grand-Carteret's LES JEUX D'OIE(http://www.giochidelloca.it/dettaglio_storia.php?id=41) lists it with the "Jeu d'actualites politiques." He notes that the winning position is the crowned Lis blanc, the symbol of virtue and, of course, "Gloire Aux Lis", a sentiment in favor during the French Restoration. But there is also botanical instruction here. Along the promenade or route of the game are 63 numbered "cases" or squares, each with a handsomely engraved flower portrait, many accompanied by captions citing the flower's emblematic meaning, or one of its physical properties. Thus: marigold, "emblème de la douleur"; jasmine, "originaire de la Province"; myrtle, "dédié a Venus par les anciens"; and finally, embowered and marked with sun's rays, the lily. The rules for traversing the promenade and reaching the lily are printed in the center of the text. For example, whoever arrives at no. 42, the violet, "a flower lost in the woods," must return to no. 30, lily of the valley, and pay a sum agreed on at the outset of the game. The shape of the course or promenade is oval, thus leaving space at the corners of the sheet for charming little views of the Jardin des Tuileries seen from the terraces of the chateau, the Jardin du Luxembourg seen from the water bassins, the Jardin du Roi seen from the river bank, and a view of the labyrinth of the Jardin du Roi. Though not found in the usual library catalogues, we do find reference to a copy in the Collection of Baron de Vinck at the Bibliothèque Nationale. "Gloire aux Lis" Single sheet, 45.5 x 61 cm., engraved overall, with text in center.

n.p: 2002. A dated album containing amateur colour photographs of COBRA artist Asger Jorn’s house exterior and garden at Albisolla in Italy. One of the photos shows the smiling COBRA-inspired Cuban artist Gina Pellon on the site. Jorn was a Danish artist who co-founded the avant-garde COBRA movement and was fundamental in the Situationist International Movement. Among many other things, Jorn was a ceramicist as is evident in the photos shown here around his Italian residence. Jorn evidently used ceramic fragments from local factories in his murals and sculptural objects. His house and garden in Albisolla on the Italian Riviera was both a refuge and the site of creativity for him in the post-War years. At his death, the villa went to the local municipality, which has slowly brought it back to life. At the time of this photo album the work was still in progress. Unique. With a photo of Gina Pellon at Albisolla. Each color photograph measures approximately 10 x 25 cm and is enclosed in a standard black paper- backed plastic pocket.

Paris, 1897. This clever and lovely Belle Epoque advertising piece for the florist, Augustin, at 108-110 Boulevard St.-Germain in Paris encloses a small oval mirror for the lady who needs to know at a glance where to order table decorations, garlands and bouquets for balls and "soirees." The piece consists of three decoratively shaped cards with color printed designs and advertising copy, front and back, tied together by a ribbon at the bottom - one fans open the cards to find the mirror at the back surrounded by color printed floral decoration. The front card is graced with a spring/summer colored illustration of a cherub sitting on fruited tree limb: here is advertised the company's greenhouses located at Petit Chateau de Champignolles, La Varenne. Also advertised are wreaths, both natural and artificial (some executed in pearls, porcelaine or dried flowers), some for the gravesite, available at a dedicated location at 77 Blvd. St.-Germain. The company announces that it maintains a permanent display of bouquets for engagements and weddings. There is also a half year calendar, January through June giving saints names with the dates and a notice of the number of increasing minutes of daylight each month through June. Three decoratively shaped cards (approx. 6 x 9 cm), color printed on recto and verso, with mirror on the last and thickest card; tied with ribbon.

Paris: L’Illustration, 30 Mars, 1929. A striking and well preserved copy of the special LA MAISON issue of the French magazine, L’ILLUSTRATION for 1929 with a colorful cover illustration by M. Rapin. The contents of the magazine are rich in mostly contemporary photographs and drawings of garden cities and residential housing. Henri Sellier writes on “L’Effort Français pour l’Habitation Populaire” reviewing garden cities such as Suresne, Cachan, Drancy and others; Georges Benoit-Lévy writes on “La Cité-Jardin à L’Etranger”; Henri Sauvage writes about “ La Maison De Rapport”, principally in Paris; Louis Bourdelles describes a “Projet D’Une Grande Habitation Moderne Pour La Ville de Paris”; Louis Feine discusses “ Les Materiaux Nouveaux Utilisable Pour La Construction de Nos Habitations”; Léandre Villat writes about contemporary villas around France and beyond. Folio (40.5 x 30.5 cm); I-LXIV pp. ads + 70 unnumbered pp. profusely illustrated from photographs, plans, drawings, some in color + LXV -CXII pp. of commercial supplements.

Paris: Fleury Chavant, 1837. First edition. “Ce recueil est destiné à accompagner  La Naissance des Fleurs, ouvrage lithographique composé de 300 groupes de fleurs, par MM. Redouté, Baget, Dumas, etc.”.  Chavant’s NAISSANCE DES FLEURS  was a series of 50 individual “feuilles” issued by the editor Chavant with plates available separately for 1fr.50. (Chavant’s ads appear at the back of this text). This small book gathers together some of the  themes of the poets and prose writers who contributed to the NAISSANCE, with, in addition, 4 drawings lithographed by A. Rouillet from the work of J. P. Redouté, Olympe Arson, Jules Dumas and Lucy de Beaurepaire. Essays on the history and lore of individual flowers accompany poems on different flowers by contemporary authors. This is the “broché” issue, again, as described in the ads at the back. VICAIRE  Vol II, p. 1044. Scarce; we find three copies in OCLC, only one of which in the U.S. at Harvard/Houghton.  12mo (18 x 11.5 cm); 143 pp. with ads + 4 lithographed plates.

Paris: Désirée Eymery, 1838. First edition. “8vo (17 x 10 cm); (vi) + 322 pp. with text illustration + engraved frontispiece + 2 engraved plates... Alida de Savignac’s LA JEUNE PROPRIÉTAIRE OU L’ART DE VIVRE (1837) is a novel-cum-handbook advising on the multiple aspects of running a country house...” (Finch, Alison. WOMEN’S WRITING IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY FRANCE, p. 79). This is the story of how the fictional Olympe de Saint-Julien, a young woman accustomed to delicate activities such as dance and music, but, also, a child of the revolution, regains her nearly ruined family estate through the efforts of a guardian relative, and then learns how to run the rural property on her own. She agrees to study the popular manual LA MAISON RUSTIQUE and then proceeds to tackle the reclamation of the house, garden, and farm, transforming decaying structures into stables, granges, poultry houses, etc. Her new plans and those advised by her guardian include making water courses to help in the creation of a fish pond, the planting of fruit and ornamental trees, and designing appropriate arrangements of the house and its rooms (the kitchen being most important). Providing supplies of medicines for the care of her workers was essential. Olympe’s guardian also offers instruction on the milk house, the poultry yard, the pigeon house, and the sheep hold. All of this is discussed in great detail and with an eye to profitabllity. There must be a vegetable greenhouse, a fruitier, and a grand shed for gardening and agricultural tools, as well as carpentry shop equipment. Eventually, Olympe rises at six each morning to survey the operations of the farm. She teaches local children and dispenses medicine. Nor is the ornamental garden neglected, with green lawns and roses planted in front of the chateau. Politics and romance play their part in the story and two tales, LES JUMELLES and LA FÊTE de SAINTE-CATHERINE, are added as lessons. Written by a woman and published by another - Désirée Eymery - who published the series Bibliothèque de l’éducation - this is a strong example of literature produced in early 19th century France encouraging women to seek empowerment. In the U.S. we locate only one copy of a later 1853 edition, and five other various editions located in France. “Olympe fermière, dame de château, maîtresse d’école et médecin” 8vo (17x10cm); (vi) + 322 pp.k with text illustration + engraved frontispiece + 2 engraved plates.

The Hague: Chez Pierre Husson, 1711. First Dutch edition of the most influential work on garden design of the eighteenth century. It effectively codified the design principles of the French formal garden and continued in print for at least six decades. "France did not become mistress of Europe in garden art merely because of such of her examples as could be copied; of almost equal importance was the wide popularity of a book which first appeared anonymously in France in 1709 under the title THEORIE ET PRATIQUE DU JARDINAGE... Never before did a book lay down the principles of any style so surely and so intelligibly in instructive precepts." (Gothein, HISTORY OF GARDEN ART, volume II, pg 111.) This edition, published in Holland, is the first of many pirated editions to appear outside of France. It carefully follows the original Paris edition, even in its pagination, and the plates are nicely engraved by J. Lamsvelt with strong dark impressions. 4to (25.8 x 20 cm); (xii) + 208 pp. with numerous engraved text illustrations and ornaments + 32 folding plates (chiefly garden plans).