A Natural History of Birds. Illustrated With Two Hundred and Five Copper Plates, Curiously Engraven from the Life. And Exactly Colour d by the Author.

Albin, Eleazar

Edité par London: Printed for W. Innys and R. Manby, Printers to the Royal Society, at the West-End of St Paul, 1738

A propos de cet article

Quarto. A reissue of the first edition, with cancel title pages (ESTC T64476). Large quarto, 2 volumes, complete. Vol. 1. pp. [viii], 98, (4); 101 plates; Vol. 2 pp. [viii], 92 ,(2) 104 plates; full calf, recent re-back with original endpapers retained, spines with five raised bands, contrasting labels and gilt titles. Bookplates to both front pastedowns. Boards somewhat worn with edges and corners rubbed. A handsome work of hand-coloured copper-plates that is held to be the first book on birds with coloured illustrations. Although predominantly on British Birds, a few non-British feature also, particularly in Volume 2, including the Flammant (flamingo), the Cassowary and the Indian Vulture, drawn from the private collections of exotic birds of his patrons and fellow naturalists. Albin also appealed to readers of Volume I for any curious birds he could draw for Volume 2 to be sent to him near the Dog and Duck in Tottenham Court Road. Note: the publishing history of Albin?s birds is interesting, and goes as follows: A first volume was first published in 1731. A second volume was first published in 1734. These two volumes were then reprinted in 1738 ? that is our set; ie a reissue of the first two volumes. It is complete in itself. See ESTC T64476. A third volume was released separately also in 1738 for the first time, this time containing largely foreign birds. So, our reissue is complete in itself, but there is a supplementary third volume published separately which is not here. Nevertheless an increasingly rare and sought after item, increasingly uncommon on the market as copies become broken. Fine Bird Books 54; Nissen IVB 14.

N° de réf. du vendeur A00177

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: A Natural History of Birds. Illustrated With Two Hundred and Five Copper Plates, Curiously Engraven from the Life. And Exactly Colour d by the Author.
• Éditeur: London: Printed for W. Innys and R. Manby, Printers to the Royal Society, at the West-End of St Paul
• Date de parution: 1738
• Reliure: Hardcover
• État de l'article: Good
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • Science and Technology
  • Natural History
  • Coloured illustrations