Joseph Hooker's Rhododendrons of Sikkim-himalaya

Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker is considered one of the greatest botanists of the nineteenth century. A close friend of Charles Darwin, he was an epic traveler, cataloging tens of thousands of plants and lending scientific weight to the theory of natural selection. 2017 marked both the bicentenary of his birth and 170 years since his trip to India where he sought botanical treasures in the Himalayas. In celebration comes this facsimile edition of Hooker’s The Rhododendrons of Sikkim-Himalaya, carefully reproduced from an original printing dating back to the mid-1800s. At the time it was an unparalleled commercial success with lavish illustrations by Walter Hood Fitch that were—and still are—considered to be some of the finest examples of botanical illustration ever produced.

Published in three parts, this new edition brings together all parts of the publication, along with thirty of Hood Fitch’s plates beautifully reproduced alongside Hooker’s original descriptions. A new introductory chapter by Virginia Mills and Cam Sharp Jones from Kew’s Joseph Hooker Correspondence Project describes Hooker’s time in India and the reception of the original publication in 1849. And Ed Ikin, Head of Wakehurst Landscape and Horticulture, describes the impact Hooker had on British gardening and the inspiration he provided for a whole new approach to horticulture. Together, this reproduction is a wonderful tribute to Joseph Hooker and a beautiful new way to experience botanical history.

Joseph Hooker (1817–1911) circled the globe discovering, describing, naming, or introducing more than 12,000 plants. He was appointed assistant director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1855 and became director in 1865.