When I was antiquing recently, I came across this small 1939 Penguin book on roses that includes 16 color rose plates. I was drawn to the tattered, well-worn cover with its old, dusty rose shade of pink. When I picked it up and saw that some of the pages were browning with age it made me wonder about the book's owner or owners and how much this little book must have been used and loved.
The book is a short history of the beloved rose and includes color plate illustrations by Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759 - 1840) from his folio Les Roses. These are just a few.
 |
Cabbage Rose (left) and Damask Rose (right)
|
 |
| Rosa nitida (left) and Sulphur Rose (right) |
 |
| Rosa gallica |
I have always loved botanical prints and I would like to try to enlarge some of these plates on a color copier and mount and frame them. I think they would look beautiful grouped together on the wall of the family room or even along the hall, don't you?
... or the dining room or even the kitchen! :) I love these - what a great find. Color plates from old books are such collector's items... how neat that you DID find them. Looking forward to seeing what becomes of them!
ReplyDeleteI love the color plates! I hope the color scans work out.. you could use the prints just about anywhere!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful find Elaine...I wonder how many hands it has fallen into...and now you! I am sure the prints would look stunning anywhere in your home.
ReplyDelete