William Curtis (1746–1799) was an English botanist famous for his ambitious six-volume publication, ‘Flora Londinensis’ (1775–1798). The first of the 72-part project was published in 1777. The project was an attempt by Curtis to describe and illustrate the plants that were found within a ten-mile radius of London during the mid 18th century. Due to a low subscription rate (around 300 copies were sold) and high cost of publication, Curtis eventually had to discontinue the project in 1798.To help pay for the financial costs of producing ‘Flora Londinensis’, Curtis started another publication, the ‘Botanical Magazine’, in 1787. This new venture brought him greater financial success and the periodical continues to remain in publication today.
