1898 First Edition, Unique Hand-Illuminated - Flower Favourites by Lizzie Deas

Author: Lizzie Deas.
Title: Flower Favourites. Their Legends, Symbolism and Significance.
Publisher: London, George Allen, 156 Charing Cross Road, 1898. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7 x 4.5 inches.
Pages: viii-229 pages. 
Binding: Very good original olive-green cloth binding, beautifully decorated in Art-Nouveau gilt floral motifs to upper cover and spine; gilt title lettering (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. 
Content: Good to very good content (bright, tight and clean, some light foxing and staining - as shown, contemporary gift inscription to front endpaper, dated Christmas 1926 - as shown).
Illustrations: Exceptionally special copy — uniquely hand-illustrated.This copy features approximately 45 original hand-drawn and hand-coloured floral vignettes, executed directly into the margins beside the text. Each flower chapter — from Rose, Violet, Myrtle, Mignonette, Water Lily and others — is accompanied by an exquisitely painted botanical study, delicately rendered in watercolour by a highly skilled but unidentified artist. No two illustrations are alike, and the work displays a confident artistic hand and refined colour sense — transforming the book into a one-of-a-kind illuminated volume.

Estimate: (USD $400 — $700).

The book: A charming late-Victorian exploration of the folklore, myth, and symbolism of beloved flowers — from ancient legend to romantic tradition. Lizzie Deas blends poetry, classical reference, and cultural history to reveal the deeper meanings attached to roses, violets, lilies, poppies, and many others.

What makes this volume truly extraordinary is its unique artistic enhancement: rather than being merely illustrated, it has been transformed into a personal botanical art object — part printed book, part original artwork. Such examples were often produced as private gifts or artistic exercises and are exceedingly rare to encounter complete.

The author: Lizzie Deas was a writer of late-Victorian botanical and sentimental literature, reflecting the period’s fascination with symbolic language and the moral poetry of nature. Flower Favourites stands among her most charming works, bridging literary expression with cultural botany.

The unique artwork: Although unsigned, the delicacy of line, naturalistic shading, and botanical accuracy suggest the hand of a trained amateur or professional illustrator. Each painted vignette harmonizes with the chapter it accompanies — an intimate and aesthetically unified enhancement that makes this copy singular in the world.