THE JONES NATURE PRINTS: NATURE PRINTING AND THE VICTORIAN FERN CULT

London: British Pteridological Society, 2015. Book. Fine. Paperback. First Edition. Small 4to. Pp. vi, 128; colour & b/w illustrations; CD in pocket at rear. A fine copy, unmarked, no inscriptions. Provenance: from the library of John Mitchell with small blue bookplate, featuring a peregrine, to the front end paper "From the library of John Mitchell, author and naturalist"; additionally an autographed note on British Pteridological Society headed compliments slip from Patrick J. Acock to John [Mitchell] is tipped in. Mitchell was an authority on the natural history of Loch Lomond and wrote New Naturalist No. 94 Loch Lomondside. A fine copy, scarce. [British Pteridological Society Special Publication No. 14] "Between 1876 and 1880, Col. A. M. Jones produced 48 sets of nature prints to illustrate the varieties of the British native ferns that were then being collected or raised. Around 300 large prints were sent to each subscriber. Michael Hayward sets the scene with an historical review of the nature printing of ferns and with biographical details of Col. Jones and of the principal characters associated with these prints. Eleven of the original sets have been personally examined and analysed, as well as a large archive of alternative prints presented to the BPS by Col. Jones' daughter. The Jones Nature Prints is profusely illustrated and is accompanied by a CD-ROM containing a complete set of images of the prints. Images of the original text sheets sent out with the prints and a searchable compilation of all of Col. Jones' text are also included on the CD.-ROM Much of the historical information in the text sheets cannot be found elsewhere.".