Ashley Zelinski
1922 The Ferns of Bombay – RARE First Edition
Description
The Ferns of Bombay
By E. Blatter & J. F. d’Almeida
Published by D. B. Taraporevala Sons & Co., Bombay, 1922
First Edition — 236 pages total (including 8 pages of front matter)
Illustrated with 2 coloured and 15 black-and-white plates, and 43 text figures
A rare regional botanical study documenting the ferns of the Bombay Presidency, authored by Ethelbert Blatter (1877–1934) and J. F. d’Almeida. Blatter, a Swiss Jesuit botanist, was one of the foremost figures in early 20th-century Indian botany, widely respected for his detailed fieldwork and publications on the flora of Western India.
This 1922 first edition presents careful descriptions and illustrations of Bombay’s fern species, offering insight into the biodiversity of the region during the colonial period. It remains an important reference work in Indian pteridology.
Physical copies of The Ferns of Bombay are exceptionally scarce — most available today are scanned reproductions held in university and botanical library collections.
All pages are present and secure to the hinge. There is a slight seam split between the last page and index, and a partial upper page separation between the frontispiece and title page. Plates and text figures are intact, showing light toning consistent with age.
A genuine rarity for collectors of historical botany and Indian natural history, and a notable example of early 20th-century botanical publishing in India.
Happy to discuss shipping options!
By E. Blatter & J. F. d’Almeida
Published by D. B. Taraporevala Sons & Co., Bombay, 1922
First Edition — 236 pages total (including 8 pages of front matter)
Illustrated with 2 coloured and 15 black-and-white plates, and 43 text figures
A rare regional botanical study documenting the ferns of the Bombay Presidency, authored by Ethelbert Blatter (1877–1934) and J. F. d’Almeida. Blatter, a Swiss Jesuit botanist, was one of the foremost figures in early 20th-century Indian botany, widely respected for his detailed fieldwork and publications on the flora of Western India.
This 1922 first edition presents careful descriptions and illustrations of Bombay’s fern species, offering insight into the biodiversity of the region during the colonial period. It remains an important reference work in Indian pteridology.
Physical copies of The Ferns of Bombay are exceptionally scarce — most available today are scanned reproductions held in university and botanical library collections.
All pages are present and secure to the hinge. There is a slight seam split between the last page and index, and a partial upper page separation between the frontispiece and title page. Plates and text figures are intact, showing light toning consistent with age.
A genuine rarity for collectors of historical botany and Indian natural history, and a notable example of early 20th-century botanical publishing in India.
Happy to discuss shipping options!
Images:
- Ad Type: Offering
- For Sale By: Owner
Offer:
$
600
In stock
2026-08-16
https://ohmy.ca/port-alberni/buy-and-sell/art-collectibles/1922-the-ferns-of-bombay-rare-first-edition_1974473.html
Ashley Zelinski
5/
5customer reviews
Category:
buy and sell | art, collectibles
2026-07-02