ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, OREGON, BRITISH AND RUSSIAN AMERICA. INTENDED TO CONTAIN DESCRIPTIONS AND FIGURES OF ALL NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS NOT GIVEN BY FORMER AMERICAN AUTHORS, AND A GENERAL SYNOPSIS OF NORTH AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY

Cassin, John

Verlag: J.B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia, 1856

Ten parts bound in one volume. viii,298pp. plus fifty handcolored lithographs, printed by J.T. Bowen of Philadelphia, eighteen after George G. White, thirty-two drawn on stone by William E. Hitchcock. Original pictorial wrappers bound into contemporary three-quarter red morocco and marbled boards, spine gilt, raised bands, t.e.g. Minor shelf wear and rubbing to boards and along joints. Minor toning, an occasional bit of light foxing, contemporary ink ownership signature of Edward Harris on first page of text of first part. A few short closed tears and minor creasing to some wrappers. In very good condition. The first edition of Cassin's valuable additions to Audubon, and an important American color plate and ornithological work in its own right. Cassin intended his work to supplement that of Audubon. He had originally suggested to Audubon's sons a plan for extending the octavo edition of Audubon's THE BIRDS OF AMERICA, but difficulty concerning credit on the titlepage sank the scheme, and Cassin proceeded with his own publication. The rare original wrappers included in the present example demonstrate that his original intention had been to issue the work in thirty parts with a total of 150 plates (see wrappers for parts 4 and 5), but by part 6 the work was reduced to its final form of ten parts with fifty plates. Eight of the ten wrappers indicate first issue parts, while the wrappers for the first and fourth parts are identified as "Second Edition." All of the present parts were executed at the same time, however, and the actual second edition was published in 1862. Cassin used the same lithographer as the Audubons, J.T. Bowen of Philadelphia, to produce these beautiful plates of American birds, consisting entirely of western species that Audubon had never observed. Cassin was a trained scientist as well as careful artist and observer, and his work took American ornithology to a new level of technical competence, becoming the first American bird book to use trinomial nomenclature. Rarely encountered with the original wrappers bound in, this is a particularly attractive set of a rare and important American ornithological color plate work. ANKER 92. ZIMMER, p.124. LADA-MOCARSKI 144. COWAN, p.110. NISSEN IVB 173. SABIN 11369. McGRATH, p.85. BENNETT, p.21. REESE, STAMPED WITH A NATIONAL CHARACTER 42. SABIN 11369. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers WRCAM55404

Bibliografische Details

Titel: ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA, ...
Verlag: J.B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia
Erscheinungsdatum: 1856