natural history of Darjeeling

An impressive collection of ferns from the areas of Sikkim and Darjeeling compiled by Phoebe Jaffrey. She compiled these albums to sell to tourists visiting the Lloyd Botanic Gardens in Darjeeling, founded by her husband Andrew Thomas Jaffrey in 1878. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was finished in 1881 and brought further interest and better communication and travel from Darjeeling into the surrounding plains.

Darjeeling and Sikkim were renowned locations for rare and undisturbed flora and fauna, attracting numerous plant collectors. Dr. Campbell and the plant collector Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker were touring Sikkim in 1849 when they were captured and imprisoned. Their release was secured without aggression and it did not prevent future scientists from flocking to the region.

Single volume, 50 dried & pressed fern specimens from the Darjeeling area, each with printed label filled out in manuscript, small label to pastedown identifying compiler, one small wormhole to margin holding specimen number twenty, specimen 38 with top part of fern loose; contemporary half straight-grained green morocco album, cloth boards with foliage embossed pattern, gilt lettering to upper board, spine in six gilt ruled compartments, a little wear to extremities with one large scuff to upper board, ferns in remarkably well-preserved condition.