Details
Pieter Bleeker (1819-1878)

Atlas Ichthyologique des Indes Orientales Néerlandaises. Amsterdam: De Breuk & Smits of Leiden for Frédéric Muller, 1862-1864, Vols.I-IV only (of 9), 2° (442 x 292mm). Half-titles. 193 lithographic plates by C.W.Mieling, (191 chromolithographs after L.Speigler and Ch.Engel, 2 uncoloured after I.Smit). (Plates in vol.I and many of the plates in vol.II generally somewhat browned, some spotting to about half the plates in vols.III and IV, text lightly browned throughout.) Contemporary blue half morocco, spines gilt (neatly rebacked and cornered with original spines laid down). Provenance: J.L.von Soest (bookplate).

BLEEKER'S WORK ON FISHES WAS ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR ON THE SUBJECT PUBLISHED DURING THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, AND A WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO BLOCH'S WORK OF THE PREVIOUS CENTURY. Bleeker died before completing this work, but by 1878 he had published 9 volumes (issued in 36 parts). Complete sets of the nine volumes are rarely found (possibly no more than sixty exist [see Bastin & Brommer]), but the work should contain a total of 420 plates (418 of which were chromolithographed). Bleeker was director of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie in Leiden and produced the present work under the auspices Dutch colonial government. Bastin & Brommer 401; BM(NH)I,p.175; Landwehr 17; Nissen BBI 409; Wood p.244. (4)

More from IMPORTANT ATLASES, COLOUR-PLATE AND NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS

View All
View All