However the initial Flora Londinensis was not a success, selling only 300 copies. Curtis went on to produce, from 1787, the Botanical Magazine which was a financial success and there are 26 volumes in the Charlecote library. This is regarded as the premier journal in early botanical illustration. This continues to be published today by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as Curtis's Botanical Magazine.

James Sowerby was the first of a long line of natural-history illustrators. Sowerby contributed about seventy plates to the initial volumes of the Botanical Magazine and about fifty to the fifth part of "Flora Londinensis" (1777-1798). He not only designed but engraved many of these plates. The engraving shown entitled, "Tormentilla Officinalis" (Tormentil or Septfoil) is a fine example of Sowerby's work from Flora Londinensis.
"Tormentilla Officinalis" is a common plant throughout Europe and has historically been used as a dye, an agent for tanning leather and as an astringent.

This print from the original engraving and hand coloured would cost you about £300