About This Collection

The LuEsther T. Mertz Library has initiated a pilot project to digitize and make accessible via the Internet rare 19th century works on American trees by French botanists André and François-André Michaux. This collection represents important illustrated botanical books that reflect the early investigation of the flora of North America by botanists who were seeking new plants for commerce and horticulture.

In 1785 André Michaux, accompanied by his son François-André, was sent, at the direction of the French government, to study the forest resources of North America, especially the oaks, with a view to reforesting France's lands that had been ravaged by war. André produced two important works, both published in France, as the result of this trip: Flora Boreali-Americana (Paris, 1803) and Histoire des chênes de l'Amérique (Paris 1801). A few years later François-André returned to the United States, also under the commission of the government of France (now the Republic). He soon produced: Histoire des Arbres Forestiers de l'Amérique Septentrionale... (Paris 1810-1813). Within a few years this work was translated into English and published as North American Sylva... (Philadelphia, 1817-1819), for the growing English and American markets interested in North American trees and woods. Noted French botanical artist Pierre Joseph Redouté prepared drawings for the works. Pancrace Bessa and Redouté's brother, Henry Joseph, also prepared drawings for the above-listed works.

We currently have two editions, or states, of Histoire des chênes de l'Amérique available for browsing in the Digital Library. Minor changes were made between the publishing of the first state and the second, most notably additional description of the oak species in the main text was added to the second state.

See the following online resource for additional information on André Michaux.

Bibliographic Information

Histoire des chênes de l'Amérique (Paris, 1801) (First state)
Histoire des chênes de l'Amérique (Paris, 1801) (Second state)
Flora Boreali-Americana(Paris, 1803)
Histoire des Arbres Forestiers de l'Am é rique Septentrionale... (Paris, 1810-1813)
The North American Sylva...(Philadelphia, 1817-1819)

Title: Histoire des chênes de l'Amérique ou Descriptions et figures de toutes les espèces et variétés de Chênes de l'Amérique Septentrionale.

Author: André Michaux

Published: Paris chez Levrault frères, Quai Malaquais, 1801.

Physical Description: 1 volume. 36 copper engravings, uncolored, numbered 1-36, of leaves and fruits of oak species, from drawings by P.J. Redouté and H.J. Redouté, engraved by Plée and Sellier, titled with Latin binomials. Indexed in Index Londinensis.

Title: Histoire des chênes de l'Amérique ou Descriptions et Fiqures de toutes les espèces et variétés de Chênes de l'Amérique Septentrionale, Considérées sous les rapports de la Botanique, de leur culture et de leur usage.

Author: André Michaux

Published: Paris, de l'imprimerie de Crapelet, 1801.

Title: Flora boreali-americana, sistens caracters plantarum quas in America septentrionali collegit et detexit Andreas Michaux, ...tabulis aeneis 51 ornata...

Author: André Michaux

Published: Parisiis et Argentorati, 1803.

Physical Description: 2 volumes. 26 cm. 51 copper engraved plates, uncolored, numbered [vol. 1] 1-29, [vol. 2] 30-51, of plants, by P.J. Redouté, engraved by Plée, titled with Latin binomials. Indexed in Index Londinensis.

Title: Histoire des Arbres Forestiers de l'Amerique septentrionale, considered principalement sous les rapporrts de leur emploi dans les arts et de leur introduction dans le commerce, ainsi que d'apres les avantages qu'ils peurvent offrirs au gouvernemens den Europe et aux personnes qui veulent former de grandes plantations.

Author: François André Michaux

Published: Paris... de l'imprimerie de L. Haussmann et d'Hautel, 1810-1813.

Physical Description: 3 volumes. 27 cm. 138 stipple engravings, color-printed, retouched by hand; of leaves, flowers and fruits of trees, from drawings by P. Bessa, P.J. Redouté, H.J. Redouté, A. Riché, A. Redouté, engraved by Bessin, Gabriel, Boquet, Cally, Jacquinot, Renard, Joly, and Dubreuil; titled by Latin binomials and English names. Indexed in Index Londinensis.

Title: North American sylva, or a description of the forest trees, of the United States, Canada and Nova Scotia. Considered particularly with respect to their use in the arts and their introduction into commerce; to which is added a description of the most useful of the European forest trees.

Author: François André Michaux

Published: Philadelphia. Paris 1817-1819.

Physical Description: 3 volumes, 26 cm. 156 stipple engravings, color-printed, retouched by hand; of leaves, flowers and fruits of trees, from drawings by Bessa, P.J. Redouté, H.J. Redouté, A. Riché, A. Redouté, engraved by various hands; title with English name and Latin binomial. Indexed in Index Londinensis.