Good work is indeed the greatest happiness for us all. William Keble Martin, 1968

{HISTORY}

An English vicar by day and an artist by all other hours, Reverend William Keble Martin (1877-1969) spent 60 years working on this magnificent collection of British botanical drawings. Undeniably, this is one of the most beautiful garden books we have run across so far with finely detailed, colorful drawings packed in on every page. The pride of the British botanical world during the mid 20th century, Prince Philip was so charmed by these floral drawings and paintings that he wrote the preface to book declaring William's skill "dedicated and painstakingly accurate." 

Featuring over 1400 species of British wildflowers, William, when not busy with church-related duties, he traveled the countryside exploring woods, fields, grasslands, ponds, lakes, and rivers in search of floral subjects, all of which he drew from live specimens.

Laid out like a field guide, this book contains floral plates on the right-side of each page and their botanical plant information on the left side. The botanical information includes each flower's scientific name, common name, physical characteristics, location and bloom time. 

William took up botanical drawing while at Oxford where he was studying Greek philosophy and botany. Untrained in the arts, he drew his first flower for what would eventually become The Concise British Flora in Colour in 1899. They were snow drops against ivy leaves, which he found in Dartington, England. Geranium and stitchwort followed and soon, flower by flower, a collection began to build. 

In the early 1950s, William began showing his book to publishers all over England.  For the next 12 years, each and every publisher agreed that it was beautiful, but they all cited that it would be too expensive to print and then retail at an affordable price for the general public because of full-color art. It wasn't until Mollie Martin, William's daughter-in-law intervened by writing a letter to Prince Phillip, a devout nature enthusiast, explaining the situation of the beautiful book that no one wanted to publish. Getting the attention of the royal family, the manuscript and sample paintings finally found their way to the wildflower-loving publisher George Rainbird. 

Published in May 1965, The Concise British Flora in Colour was an instant bestseller. By the the time this edition was printed in November 1965 over 155,000 copies were sold in just a seven month time period. Book critics called it a great work of love, devotion and beauty. Professional botanists considered it an invaluable resource.  Gardeners, artists, and nature enthusiasts admired the beauty of the plates. 

A nature lover all his life, William passed away at the the age of 92, just three years after his book was published. By that time, "all his ambitions had been fulfilled," remarked his daughter-in-law in a 1982 interview in London's Evening Standard. Throughout his nine decades, William was surrounded, and inspired by flowers, including his first and second wives, named Violet and Flora, his book editor, named Jasmine, and all of England's natural landscapes that continuously captivated him. From the very first flower he painted in 1899, his paint box, the only paint box he ever owned, remained by his side, a trusted ally and a devoted adventurer. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

•  4th Impression of the 1965 Edition published by Ebury Press and Michael Joseph
• 231 pages
• Contains the original dust jacket with the original sales price of 35 shillings 
• Fully illustrated throughout 

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition, this book is bright and clean throughout with no spots, stains or notations. There is some light foxing on the front and back endpapers as well as the top edge. The color plates are bright and vibrant in color palette. The dust jacket is bright and clean and entirely in one piece. The spine is tight and all pages are intact. Please see photos.

{SIZE}

Measures 10.25" inches (length) x 7.75" inches (width) and weighs just under 2 lbs.