The Orchid by P. Francis Hunt
The Orchid
A Master Scholar's Guide to the Cultivation, Environments, and Global History of the Orchidaceae Family
A Master Scholar's Guide to the Cultivation, Environments, and Global History of the Orchidaceae Family
Bibliographic Specifications
• Title: The Orchid
• Author: P. Francis Hunt
• Publisher: Peerage Books, London
• Publication Date: 1987
• ISBN-10: 1850520790
• ISBN-13: 9781850520795
• Edition Details: First Peerage Hardcover Release.
• Binding: Original publisher's premium stark black cloth-bound or textured hardboards accented by brilliant gilt-stamped spine and cover typography, housed in an illustrated glossy dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Quarto (4to), 173 pages. Meticulously enhanced with dozens of vivid full-colour photographic plates, botanical close-ups, and structural potting diagrams printed on high-grade semi-gloss stock.
• Language: English
• Title: The Orchid
• Author: P. Francis Hunt
• Publisher: Peerage Books, London
• Publication Date: 1987
• ISBN-10: 1850520790
• ISBN-13: 9781850520795
• Edition Details: First Peerage Hardcover Release.
• Binding: Original publisher's premium stark black cloth-bound or textured hardboards accented by brilliant gilt-stamped spine and cover typography, housed in an illustrated glossy dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Quarto (4to), 173 pages. Meticulously enhanced with dozens of vivid full-colour photographic plates, botanical close-ups, and structural potting diagrams printed on high-grade semi-gloss stock.
• Language: English
Official Condition Report
• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+) / Near Fine
o Exterior / Boards: The original jet-black cloth-bound hardboards are exceptionally handsome, flat, and square. All four corners remain sharp and unbumped. Underneath the dust jacket, the ornate gilt lettering shines with absolute brilliance. The spine is structurally immaculate, vertically straight, and completely undamaged, holding its tight original profile.
o Interior: Pristine, intact, and brilliantly white. The 173 internal pages and rich colour plates are crisp and free of age-toning, finger-soil, or foxing. There are no dealer markings, owner gift plates, ink library stamps, or user highlighters. The structural binding remains robust and excellent.
• The Dust Jacket: Good Plus (G+) / Very Good (VG)
o Condition Details: The original illustrated jacket exhibits traditional, honest signs of historical shelf handling, displaying notable wear, light creasing, and minor tearing focused primarily along the spine endpoints and outer margins. The entire jacket has been carefully stabilized and enclosed in a professional, removable clear cellophane archival cover, which binds the vintage jacket components together beautifully and halts any future edge-wear.
• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+) / Near Fine
o Exterior / Boards: The original jet-black cloth-bound hardboards are exceptionally handsome, flat, and square. All four corners remain sharp and unbumped. Underneath the dust jacket, the ornate gilt lettering shines with absolute brilliance. The spine is structurally immaculate, vertically straight, and completely undamaged, holding its tight original profile.
o Interior: Pristine, intact, and brilliantly white. The 173 internal pages and rich colour plates are crisp and free of age-toning, finger-soil, or foxing. There are no dealer markings, owner gift plates, ink library stamps, or user highlighters. The structural binding remains robust and excellent.
• The Dust Jacket: Good Plus (G+) / Very Good (VG)
o Condition Details: The original illustrated jacket exhibits traditional, honest signs of historical shelf handling, displaying notable wear, light creasing, and minor tearing focused primarily along the spine endpoints and outer margins. The entire jacket has been carefully stabilized and enclosed in a professional, removable clear cellophane archival cover, which binds the vintage jacket components together beautifully and halts any future edge-wear.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Originally compiled by one of Britain's most elite botanical scholars, The Orchid stands as a remarkably comprehensive and visually dazzling celebration of the world's most enchanting plant family. This definitive reference work provides the amateur and veteran orchid grower alike with precise empirical techniques for establishing suitable greenhouse microclimates, choosing medium substrates, and replicating wild environments for finicky tropical and temperate species.
Originally compiled by one of Britain's most elite botanical scholars, The Orchid stands as a remarkably comprehensive and visually dazzling celebration of the world's most enchanting plant family. This definitive reference work provides the amateur and veteran orchid grower alike with precise empirical techniques for establishing suitable greenhouse microclimates, choosing medium substrates, and replicating wild environments for finicky tropical and temperate species.
Beyond core husbandry, the volume offers clear advice on how to responsibly purchase orchids, navigate global conservation regulations concerning wild specimens, and extract high-value research from modern orchid publications and societies. What sets this volume apart is its flawless balance of rich historical narrative and practical science. Filled with magnificent, full-colour photography capturing rare variants, this out-of-print classic is a brilliant addition to any serious botanical library, fine art collection, or specialized greenhouse inventory.
Author Profile: P. Francis Hunt
P. Francis Hunt is an internationally celebrated British botanist, taxonomist, and foremost authority on the preservation and cultivation of the Orchidaceae family. He spent twelve highly influential years conducting advanced scientific research on exotic flora at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where he served as a senior curator and research specialist. Over his prolific career, Hunt authored several landmark textbooks—including The International Book of Orchids and multiple foundational papers for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)—gaining immense global respect for transforming highly complex cellular biology and global habitat data into beautifully accessible, engaging literature for international growers.
P. Francis Hunt is an internationally celebrated British botanist, taxonomist, and foremost authority on the preservation and cultivation of the Orchidaceae family. He spent twelve highly influential years conducting advanced scientific research on exotic flora at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where he served as a senior curator and research specialist. Over his prolific career, Hunt authored several landmark textbooks—including The International Book of Orchids and multiple foundational papers for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)—gaining immense global respect for transforming highly complex cellular biology and global habitat data into beautifully accessible, engaging literature for international growers.
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