Details
LATHAM, John (1740-1837). A General Synopsis of Birds. London: Leigh and Sotheby, 1781[-1785]. 6 volumes. [With:] Supplement to the General Synopsis. London: Leigh and Sotheby, 1781[i.e.1787]-1801. 2 volumes. [And:] Index Ornithologicus, sive systema ornithologiae; complectens avium divisionem in classes, ordines, genera, species, ipsarumque varietates. London: Leigh and Sotheby, 1790-1801. 2 volumes.
Together 10 volumes, 4° (248 x 190mm). 1 hand-coloured etched title, 7 hand-coloured etched title vignettes, 142 VERY FINE ETCHED PLATES, COUNTER-PROOFS, HAND-COLOURED BY SARAH STONE. (Small sections of ?old tissue guards adhering to four of the title vignettes and three of the plates, occasional very light spotting to text.) Contemporary diced russia, elaborately tooled in gilt and blind, gilt turn-ins, g.e. (neatly rebacked with brown morocco, corners rubbed). Provenance: John North (bookseller's inserted note, sale Evans March-May 1819, sold for ¨44/2/0 to:); William Philip Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton (1772-1838, by descent to:); William Philip Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton (1835-1897, Croxteth Library armorial bookplate).
FIRST EDITION. VERY RARE, ONE OF SIX KNOWN COPIES OF THE DELUXE ISSUE. Lowndes is the only bibliographer to have noted this special issue, and little else is known of its production history. However, the original purchasers of four of the sets are said to have been John North (the present copy), Sir M.M.Sykes, Colonel Stanley and John Dent (the Bradley Martin copy, sold for $23,100, and incidentally also once owned by Hugh Fattorini). The printing of counter-proofs resulted in a very faint reversed image. This outline was then skillfully hand-coloured by Sarah Stone: the result is a series of plates that are almost indistinguishable from original watercolours, indeed the catalogue entry for the North sale descibes this set as "complete, with the original drawings, from which the plates were engraved". Lowndes III,p.1314.
[With:]Sarah STONE (17611844). Spoonbill, an original watercolour, signed and dated Sept 21 1777, 360 x 245mm., laid-down within a modern burgundy morocco folder, the image faced by a cream watered-silk liner, the covers tooled in gilt, the upper lettered "A Spoonbill by Sarah Stone 1777"
Most of Sarah Stone's watercolours were produced for Latham's friend Sir Ashton Lever, and relate to his collections housed in the Leverian Museum. This fine work is a particularly early example. (11)
Together 10 volumes, 4° (248 x 190mm). 1 hand-coloured etched title, 7 hand-coloured etched title vignettes, 142 VERY FINE ETCHED PLATES, COUNTER-PROOFS, HAND-COLOURED BY SARAH STONE. (Small sections of ?old tissue guards adhering to four of the title vignettes and three of the plates, occasional very light spotting to text.) Contemporary diced russia, elaborately tooled in gilt and blind, gilt turn-ins, g.e. (neatly rebacked with brown morocco, corners rubbed). Provenance: John North (bookseller's inserted note, sale Evans March-May 1819, sold for ¨44/2/0 to:); William Philip Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton (1772-1838, by descent to:); William Philip Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton (1835-1897, Croxteth Library armorial bookplate).
FIRST EDITION. VERY RARE, ONE OF SIX KNOWN COPIES OF THE DELUXE ISSUE. Lowndes is the only bibliographer to have noted this special issue, and little else is known of its production history. However, the original purchasers of four of the sets are said to have been John North (the present copy), Sir M.M.Sykes, Colonel Stanley and John Dent (the Bradley Martin copy, sold for $23,100, and incidentally also once owned by Hugh Fattorini). The printing of counter-proofs resulted in a very faint reversed image. This outline was then skillfully hand-coloured by Sarah Stone: the result is a series of plates that are almost indistinguishable from original watercolours, indeed the catalogue entry for the North sale descibes this set as "complete, with the original drawings, from which the plates were engraved". Lowndes III,p.1314.
[With:]Sarah STONE (17611844). Spoonbill, an original watercolour, signed and dated Sept 21 1777, 360 x 245mm., laid-down within a modern burgundy morocco folder, the image faced by a cream watered-silk liner, the covers tooled in gilt, the upper lettered "A Spoonbill by Sarah Stone 1777"
Most of Sarah Stone's watercolours were produced for Latham's friend Sir Ashton Lever, and relate to his collections housed in the Leverian Museum. This fine work is a particularly early example. (11)