one of the rarest of american floras

'One of the rarest of American floras; not listed by Pritzel, Jackson, Dunthorne, Nissen, or Great Flower Books... [with] Mrs Byam's even rarer volume picturing fruits' (Hunt).

Both works, Exotics and Fruits, are often bound together and are some of the earliest colour plates of the flora they depict: 'the charming, delicately engraved plates... in some instances antedate the earliest colorplates of these subjects listed by Pritzel and Stapf' (Hunt).

The flowering plants depicted in Exotics are: Silk Cotton Tree, Wild Ipecacuan, Flower Fence (Poinciana), Guaiacum, Rocou, Castor, Cut-leaved Lilac, Logwood, Wild Cinnamon, Acacie Bush, Cankerberry, Papaw Tree, Potato Vine, and Coffee Tree.

The fruits depicted in Fruits are: West India Sorrel, Cashew, Granadilla, Sea-side Grape, Rose Apple, and Wythe Apple (Dragon fruit). Plates lacking are: Avacado pear, Dates, and Smooth Cerasee.

Lydia Byam (c.1772-1854) was part of the prominent Byam family in Antigua, her father being privy seal in the government of Antigua and her ancestors being sometime governors of the isalnd. The Byam family largely acrued their wealth and status through the slave-trade, continuing to exploit slaves even after the Slave Trade Act of 1807. In 1821, Lydia owned an enslaved woman and had inherited in 1835 a further eighteen slaves purchased by her late father. She and her daughter were subsequently awarded £1,706 (equivalent to £272,000 in today's money) in slave compensation following the abolishment of slavery in the British Empire.

There is debate as to the dedicatée's identity. Hunt and Kraus both believe the 'Viscountess Galway' to be Jane Westenra Monckton, considering both their copies have Monckton family provenance. Yet that doesn't explain the dedication of the second work to 'Princess Elizabeth'. A more likely canidate is Elizabeth Monckton-Arundell, wife of Robert Monckton-Arundell, 4th Viscount Galway, the daughter of Daniel Mathew and Mary Byam, which would explain both a family connection for Lydia to be in her patronage whilst also explaining the Monckton connection.

First editions; 2 works bound in one, folio (47 x 30 cm); 12 hand-coloured aquatint plates of flowering plants, dedication and caption leaves, tissue guards bound in, small marginal tear to plate 7 and 9; [with] 6 (of 9) hand-coloured aquatint plates of fruit, dedication and 2 (of 3) caption leaves, tissue guards bound in, some very light marginal spotting, plates of both works watermarked 1794 and in near-fine condition, armorial bookplate to front pastedown; contemporary half morocco, cloth boards, flat spine lettered in gilt, light wear to extremities.

Brunet 5288; Hunt 749; Sabin 1697.