Details
[HAYES, Charles (1772-1826). Portraits of British Birds. London: n.d. but watermarked 1808-1821].
4° in sixes (276 x 216mm). Without title. 144 ORIGINAL WATERCOLOUR DRAWINGS OF BIRDS BY HAYES (number IX indistinctly signed, dated and titled in ink in lower margin by Hayes), each with tissue guard, interleaved with 72 leaves of explanatory letterpress text printed recto and verso facing the relevant drawings. Near-contemporary purple half-morocco, the spine elaborately tooled in gilt, by H.Brockmann of Hannover (his ticket on rear free-endpaper) (very slight fading and discolouration to spine). Provenance: Ernest, Duke of Cumberland, later ERNST AUGUST I., KING OF HANNOVER (1771-1851); Königlichen Ernst August Fideicommiss-Bibliothek (sale 15-16 June 1970 Hauswedell & Nolte lot 805, plates catalogued as hand-coloured engravings).
A FINE COLLECTION OF WATERCOLOURS WITH ROYAL PROVENANCE. This work previously appeared at auction with the plates described as hand-coloured engravings, however, we are satisfied that the drawings are not over an engraved base. Indeed, it seems doubtful that the engraved work exists at all: no copies are recorded either at auction or in institutions. Wood mentions Hayes as 'the author and illustrator of a very rare and probably uncompleted 4to, entitled The Portraits of British Birds, including Domestic Poultry and Water-Fowl: we believe this to be a description of the Zoological Society's collection of 120 watercolours (with text, a manuscript title and a printed wrapper titled as above). Nissen IVB 420 (based on McGill/Wood?) calls for 120 coloured copper-engravings, and Christine Jackson (based on Nissen, and photographs of the present copy) calls for 144 etched plates. It seems likely that Hayes intended to issue a work that (like the first edition of Lewin's Birds) was illustrated with original watercolours: if this is the case then the present copy must be considered as the ideal, as far as the number of plates is concerned.
The drawings are each within a ruled ink border. The subjects include 16 ducks and geese; 13 pigeons; 10 hawks and owls; 9 chickens and other domesticated fowl; 5 pheasants, grouse, ptarmigans. Cf. Christine Jackson. Bird Etchings 1985, p.133-5.
4° in sixes (276 x 216mm). Without title. 144 ORIGINAL WATERCOLOUR DRAWINGS OF BIRDS BY HAYES (number IX indistinctly signed, dated and titled in ink in lower margin by Hayes), each with tissue guard, interleaved with 72 leaves of explanatory letterpress text printed recto and verso facing the relevant drawings. Near-contemporary purple half-morocco, the spine elaborately tooled in gilt, by H.Brockmann of Hannover (his ticket on rear free-endpaper) (very slight fading and discolouration to spine). Provenance: Ernest, Duke of Cumberland, later ERNST AUGUST I., KING OF HANNOVER (1771-1851); Königlichen Ernst August Fideicommiss-Bibliothek (sale 15-16 June 1970 Hauswedell & Nolte lot 805, plates catalogued as hand-coloured engravings).
A FINE COLLECTION OF WATERCOLOURS WITH ROYAL PROVENANCE. This work previously appeared at auction with the plates described as hand-coloured engravings, however, we are satisfied that the drawings are not over an engraved base. Indeed, it seems doubtful that the engraved work exists at all: no copies are recorded either at auction or in institutions. Wood mentions Hayes as 'the author and illustrator of a very rare and probably uncompleted 4to, entitled The Portraits of British Birds, including Domestic Poultry and Water-Fowl: we believe this to be a description of the Zoological Society's collection of 120 watercolours (with text, a manuscript title and a printed wrapper titled as above). Nissen IVB 420 (based on McGill/Wood?) calls for 120 coloured copper-engravings, and Christine Jackson (based on Nissen, and photographs of the present copy) calls for 144 etched plates. It seems likely that Hayes intended to issue a work that (like the first edition of Lewin's Birds) was illustrated with original watercolours: if this is the case then the present copy must be considered as the ideal, as far as the number of plates is concerned.
The drawings are each within a ruled ink border. The subjects include 16 ducks and geese; 13 pigeons; 10 hawks and owls; 9 chickens and other domesticated fowl; 5 pheasants, grouse, ptarmigans. Cf. Christine Jackson. Bird Etchings 1985, p.133-5.