Camellia Journal — Clara Maria Pope 1819 Monograph Genus Camellia Samuel Curtis Botanical Plates

Carry the refined elegance of the Regency garden — when Clara Maria Pope gave the camellias of Samuel Curtis's 1819 monograph their most exquisite hand-colored portraits, and the rarest flowers of the early 19th-century British hothouse found their place in the history of botanical art.

Samuel Curtis (1779–1860) — botanist, publisher, and nephew of the great William Curtis of the Botanical Magazine — devoted his 1819 Monograph on the Genus Camellia to documenting the most beautiful camellia varieties then cultivated in Britain, commissioning Clara Maria Pope to produce hand-colored aquatint engravings of extraordinary delicacy. The camellia — introduced to Britain from China and Japan in the late 18th century — had become one of the most fashionable plants of the Regency era, its waxy, perfectly formed flowers making it the supreme ornament of the hothouse and conservatory. This distinguished hardcover journal presents two of the most celebrated plates: the Anemone-flowered Waratah and Middlemist's Red on the front, and the Single White, Red, and Sasanqua camellias on the back.

Front Cover — Anemone-Flowered Waratah & Rose-Colored Middlemist's Red, Clara Maria Pope, Samuel Curtis Monograph, 1819:
The front cover presents Pope's hand-colored aquatint of two of the most celebrated camellia varieties of the Regency era — the Anemone-flowered Waratah, with its extraordinary double flower of densely packed petals in deep crimson and white, and Middlemist's Red (Camellia japonica 'Middlemist'), one of the rarest flowers in the world. Brought to Britain from China by nurseryman John Middlemist around 1804, today only two known surviving specimens exist — one at Chiswick House Gardens in London, one in New Zealand. Pope's aquatint captures this extraordinary flower with the delicacy and precision that made her one of the finest botanical illustrators of the Regency period.

Back Cover — Single White, Red & Sasanqua Camellia, Plate I, Clara Maria Pope, Samuel Curtis Monograph, 1819:
The back cover presents Pope's Plate I — documenting three foundational camellia varieties: the Single White (Camellia japonica 'Alba Simplex'), with its pure white petals and golden stamens; the Single Red, with its deep crimson simplicity; and the Sasanqua (Camellia sasanqua), the Japanese species whose smaller, more delicate flowers and fragrance distinguished it from the larger japonica varieties. Together, the three varieties represent the full range of camellia form and color available to the Regency gardener — from the pure simplicity of the single white to the complex beauty of the anemone-flowered Waratah.

Why This Journal Inspires:

• Clara Maria Pope's hand-colored aquatints from Samuel Curtis's Monograph on the Genus Camellia (1819) — Regency botanical art at its most refined and beautiful
• Middlemist's Red — one of only two surviving specimens in the world, documented by Pope with extraordinary delicacy and precision
• Anemone-flowered Waratah, Single White, Single Red, and Sasanqua — the full range of Regency camellia beauty in two plates
• The perfect companion for garden journaling, botanical sketches, plant observation notes, or daily reflections inspired by the refined elegance of the Regency garden

Product Details:

• Format: Hardcover lined journal
• Pages: 150 perforated lined pages for easy removal
• Binding: Casewrap sewn binding
• Dimensions: 5.5 × 8.5 inches
• Weight: Approximately 400g
• Cover: Matte laminated full-wrap print

Perfect For:

• Camellia enthusiasts, gardeners, and botanical illustration collectors
• Regency-era art, history, and British horticulture admirers
• Lovers of rare flowers and the history of plant introduction to Britain
• Gift for anyone captivated by the beauty, rarity, and elegance of the camellia
• Students and researchers of the history of Regency botanical illustration and British horticultural history
• Writers and creatives inspired by the refined world of the Regency hothouse and conservatory

Carry the refined elegance of the Regency garden — where Pope's aquatint needle and Curtis's monograph press gave Middlemist's Red and the Waratah, the Sasanqua and the Single White, the portraits they have always deserved.

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Care instructions: Use a soft, clean and dry cloth to gently brush any dust or dirt off from the center of book outwards.