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HENRY LEONARD MEYER (d.1864)
Illustrations of British Birds. London: Longman & Co., [1835-1841]. 4 vols, 2° (376 by 270mm). 321 fine hand-coloured lithographic plates, including five of birds' eggs not called for in the lists of plates, with an additional eight leaves of watercolour drawings of eggs, these with manuscript titles in pencil, four lithographic title-pages and four lithographic lists of plates. (Neat manuscript notes in pencil at foot of plates, some occasional spotting, mainly light and confined to outer margins, but more prominent on approximately 25 plates, closed 20mm tear to lower edge of one plate in vol. I, light damp stain to outer edge of 4 plates, paper repair to lower corner of one plate, 19 plates approximately 5mm shorter at lower or outer edge.) Vols. III and IV bound in contemporary half morocco, spines gilt, marbled boards, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt; vols. I and II bound to match in uniform style with near identical tooling; 11 original pink printed wrappers dated from May 1836 to August 1838 bound-in at rear of volume IV (extremities to all four vols. lightly rubbed).
FIRST EDITION OF 'ONE OF OUR MOST VALUABLE ILLUSTRATED WORKS ON ORNITHOLOGY' (Mullens and Swan). No two copies of this work are alike since different issues were published concurrently, with the result that the plates were often interchanged or duplicated. As Wood remarks: 'The whole subject is attended with the utmost difficulty'. Professor Hale's exhaustive study however now provides the bibliophile with a detailed guide to the history and collation of this impressive collection of ornithological plates. It is possible therefore to identify this copy as a first edition, since it includes not only the first issue title-pages, but also the five hand-coloured lithographic plates of birds' eggs issued to purchasers of the first issue, as well as eight leaves of watercolour drawings of further eggs. It is interesting to note that the lithographic list of plates found here 'occur in some of the early issues, probably because they were sought long after publication' (Hale). Hale The Meyers' Illustrations of British Birds; Mullens and Swan 398; Wood 462; Nissen IVB, 627; Sitwell p.123. Visit www.christies.com for further information.
Illustrations of British Birds. London: Longman & Co., [1835-1841]. 4 vols, 2° (376 by 270mm). 321 fine hand-coloured lithographic plates, including five of birds' eggs not called for in the lists of plates, with an additional eight leaves of watercolour drawings of eggs, these with manuscript titles in pencil, four lithographic title-pages and four lithographic lists of plates. (Neat manuscript notes in pencil at foot of plates, some occasional spotting, mainly light and confined to outer margins, but more prominent on approximately 25 plates, closed 20mm tear to lower edge of one plate in vol. I, light damp stain to outer edge of 4 plates, paper repair to lower corner of one plate, 19 plates approximately 5mm shorter at lower or outer edge.) Vols. III and IV bound in contemporary half morocco, spines gilt, marbled boards, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt; vols. I and II bound to match in uniform style with near identical tooling; 11 original pink printed wrappers dated from May 1836 to August 1838 bound-in at rear of volume IV (extremities to all four vols. lightly rubbed).
FIRST EDITION OF 'ONE OF OUR MOST VALUABLE ILLUSTRATED WORKS ON ORNITHOLOGY' (Mullens and Swan). No two copies of this work are alike since different issues were published concurrently, with the result that the plates were often interchanged or duplicated. As Wood remarks: 'The whole subject is attended with the utmost difficulty'. Professor Hale's exhaustive study however now provides the bibliophile with a detailed guide to the history and collation of this impressive collection of ornithological plates. It is possible therefore to identify this copy as a first edition, since it includes not only the first issue title-pages, but also the five hand-coloured lithographic plates of birds' eggs issued to purchasers of the first issue, as well as eight leaves of watercolour drawings of further eggs. It is interesting to note that the lithographic list of plates found here 'occur in some of the early issues, probably because they were sought long after publication' (Hale). Hale The Meyers' Illustrations of British Birds; Mullens and Swan 398; Wood 462; Nissen IVB, 627; Sitwell p.123. Visit www.christies.com for further information.