William Curtis
William Curtis (11 January 1746 – 7 July 1799) was an English botanist and entomologist, who was born at Alton, Hampshire, site of the Curtis Museum.Curtis began as an apothecary, before turning his attention to botany and other natural history. The publications he prepared reached a wider audience than early works on the subject had intended. At the age of 25 he produced ''Instructions for collecting and preserving insects; particularly moths and butterflies''.
Curtis was demonstrator of plants and Praefectus Horti at the Chelsea Physic Garden from 1771 to 1777. He established his own London Botanic Garden at Lambeth in 1779, moving to Brompton in 1789. He published ''Flora Londinensis'' (6 volumes, 1777–1798), a pioneering work in that it devoted itself to urban nature. Financial success was not found, but he went on the publish ''The Botanical Magazine'' in 1787, a work that would also feature hand coloured plates by artists such as James Sowerby and Sydenham Edwards. (William Kilburn is often erroneously cited as having contributed plates to ''Curtis's Botanical Magazine''. Though he did provide illustrations to ''Flora Londinensis'', his association with Curtis seems to have ended by 1777, 10 years before the first publication of the ''Botanical Magazine'')
Curtis was to gain wealth from the ventures into publishing, short sales on ''Londinensis'' were offset by over 3,000 copies of the magazine. Curtis said they had each brought 'pudding or praise'.
Curtis might be the editor of an exsiccata-like series ''Hortus siccus gramineus'', followed up by the series ''Hortus siccus gramineus or a collection of dried specimens of British grasses with their Latin and English names...'' (1802-1806), distributed by William Salisbury.
The genus ''Curtisia'' is named in his honour. His publication was continued as the esteemed botanical publication, ''Curtis's Botanical Magazine''. The noted natural history illustrators, James Sowerby and Sydenham Edwards both found a start with the eminent magazine.
He was buried in the churchyard at St. Mary's Church, Battersea at a location he chose himself, where he is commemorated in a stained glass window, as many of his samples were collected from the churchyard there. His headstone, now only partially remaining, had the epitaph:
While living herbs shall spring profusely wild, Or gardens cherish all that's blithe and gay,The epitaph, although lost from the grave is included in the stained glass window by John Hayward. The window design includes a chaplet of flowers from Curtis's Flora Londinensis.
So long thy works shall please, dear Nature's child,
So long thy mem'ry suffer no decay.
This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Curtis when citing a botanical name. Provided by Wikipedia
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1727
Published 1727
printed and sold by Joseph Downing, in Bartholomew-Close, near West-Smithfield, and John Wyat, at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1727
Published 1727
printed by John Bagnall, and sold by John Wyat in St. Paul's Church-Yard, London, and the booksellers in Bury and Colchester
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1778
Published 1778
printed by J. Andrews for the author and published at Number 6, Talbot-Court, Gracechurch-Street
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1782
Published 1782
Published by B. White, Fleet-Street; J. Sewell, Cornhill; J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church-Yard; J. Strahan, No 67, Strand; and R. Faulder, New Bond-Street
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1727
Published 1727
printed for the author, and are to be sold by J. Wyat at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1713
Published 1713
printed by W. Downing for John Wyat at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard, and are to be sold by Mr. Truelove of Ipswich, Mr. Jefferies of Harwich, and Mr. Blithe of Colchester
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1777
Published 1777
printed for and sold by the author, No. 51, Gracechurch-Street; and B. White, bookseller, in Fleet-Street
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1787
Published 1787
printed by Fry and Couchman, Upper-Moorfields, for W. Curtis, at his Botanic Garden, Lambeth-Marsh; and sold by all booksellers, stationers, and news carriers, in town and country
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1786
Published 1786
Printed for the author by Frys and Couchman; and sold at his Botanic Garden, Lambeth-Marsh; by B. White and Son, Fleet-Street; G.G.J. and J. Robinson, London; and C. Elliot, Edinburgh
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1790
Published 1790
Printed by Couchman and Fry, and published by the author, at No. 3, St. George's-Crescent, near the Obelisk, Black-Friars-Road
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1790
Published 1790
[Printe]d in Lynn, by the author. In Norwich, by Messrs. Yarrington and Bacon. And in London, by Mr. Ridgeway, bookseller in St. James' Street]
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1790
Published 1790
Published by W. Curtis, No. 3, St. George's-Crescent, Black-Friars-Road; and sold by the booksellers of Great-Britain and Ireland
|
by Curtis, William
Published 1783
Published 1783
sold by B. White, Fleet-Street; Sewel, Cornhill; Robinson, Pater-Noster Row; Payne, Pall-Mall; and Debrett, Piccadilly
- 1
- 2