UJ houses international royal treasure

​​​​​​​The Archiving, Institutional Repository and Special Collections Department at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) acquired a limited edition of the Highgrove Florilegium, a prestige book illustrating the plants grown in His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales’ Highgrove Garden in Gloucestershire, England.​​

The edition is limited to just 175 numbered sets. His Royal Highness, who wrote the Preface and holds set 1 of 175, has signed each numbered set. UJ is proud to own number 118 of the 175 sets that were published in which top South African botanical artists are represented as well as some of South Africa’s flora. The Highgrove Florilegium is a collector’s item, ideal particularly for people interested in art, royalty, British tradition and heritage.

​UJ Library and Information Centre will be displaying its recent acquisition, the Highgrove Florilegium, on Friday, 20 May 2011 at the in the Library and Information Centre, Level 6, Auckland Park Kingsway Campus. The event is scheduled to start at 10:00. Two South African botanical artists, Gill Condy and Ann Harris, will highlight their experiences as contributing artists to the Highgrove Florilegium. The contribution of botanical art to the science of botany will also be highlighted in a talk by Prof Ben-Erik van Wyk, UJ lecturer and author of numerous botanical books.

​There are 124 original prints in the collection which have been completed by 73 leading artists from around the world. The book is also a work of art in itself, with over 100 British craftsmen dedicating their talent and time to crafting each traditional hand-produced volume. The binding of the Highgrove Florilegium volumes has been painstakingly undertaken by the best craftspeople in Britain from the gold embossing on the leather to the hand-marbling on the cover. ​