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CORY, Charles Barney (1857-1921). The Beautiful and Curious Birds of the World. Boston: published by the author for the subscribers [1880-] 1883.
Details
CORY, Charles Barney (1857-1921). The Beautiful and Curious Birds of the World. Boston: published by the author for the subscribers [1880-] 1883.
2o (670 x 525 mm). Title, one page dedication to Joel Asaph Allen, one page list of plates, one page preface, 34 pages text on 20 leaves. 20 tinted lithographic plates with hand-coloring, 8 by and after Joseph Smit and printed by M. & N. Hanhart, 5 printed by Forbes & Co. of Boston, 7 unsigned. (Staining to inner margin of title and first leaf, some light staining mostly on verso of plates at end, plate 16 with short marginal tear.) Contemporary black morocco gilt, gilt turn-ins, silk doublures and linings (rebacked, a few small repairs to edges); cloth folding case.
FIRST EDITION. A RARE WORK, WITH BEAUTIFUL PLATES ON A GRAND SCALE, INCLUDING SOME OF SMIT'S FINEST WORK published for subscribers in 7 parts. The main appeal of this work is visual, and it is therefore not surprising that Cory concentrates on the spectacular Birds of Paradise and their relatives the Lyre Bird and the Spotted Bower bird: 12 of the plates are of this group. The others include extinct birds: the Dodo, Great Auk, and the Labrador Duck as well as less obvious choices like the Kiwi, Ruff, California Condor, Black-headed Plover and the Sacred Ibis. BM(NH) I,p.387; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.87; Nissen IVB 205; Wood p.300; Zimmer p.137.
2o (670 x 525 mm). Title, one page dedication to Joel Asaph Allen, one page list of plates, one page preface, 34 pages text on 20 leaves. 20 tinted lithographic plates with hand-coloring, 8 by and after Joseph Smit and printed by M. & N. Hanhart, 5 printed by Forbes & Co. of Boston, 7 unsigned. (Staining to inner margin of title and first leaf, some light staining mostly on verso of plates at end, plate 16 with short marginal tear.) Contemporary black morocco gilt, gilt turn-ins, silk doublures and linings (rebacked, a few small repairs to edges); cloth folding case.
FIRST EDITION. A RARE WORK, WITH BEAUTIFUL PLATES ON A GRAND SCALE, INCLUDING SOME OF SMIT'S FINEST WORK published for subscribers in 7 parts. The main appeal of this work is visual, and it is therefore not surprising that Cory concentrates on the spectacular Birds of Paradise and their relatives the Lyre Bird and the Spotted Bower bird: 12 of the plates are of this group. The others include extinct birds: the Dodo, Great Auk, and the Labrador Duck as well as less obvious choices like the Kiwi, Ruff, California Condor, Black-headed Plover and the Sacred Ibis. BM(NH) I,p.387; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.87; Nissen IVB 205; Wood p.300; Zimmer p.137.