Roxburgh, William (1751-1815)

William Roxburgh was a botanist who significantly advanced the study of Indian Flora through his works. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh, where he studied medicine and botany. He obtained the post of surgeons assistant with the East Indian Corp. In India, he joined the Madras Medical Service and was posted in the Indian hill station of Samulcotta where he was able to study the local plants. Roxburgh was later appointed Superintendent of the Calcutta Botanic Garden (1793-1813), during which time he was able to produce colored drawings which were subsequently used to illustrate his important books on the flora of India. His works include the superb “Plants of the Coast of Coromandel selected from drawings and descriptions presented to the Hon. Court of Directors of the East India Company”, published from 1795-1819; “Flora Bengalensis”, published in 1815; and “Flora Indica”, published in 1820.

Prints from this publication are quite large, and are extremely rare, they feature excellent original translucent hand coloring.