![SHAW, George (1751-1813). Museum Leverianum containing select specimens from the museum of Sir Ashton Lever. [London:] James Parkinson, 1792-1796.](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2010/CKS/2010_CKS_07854_0263_000(shaw_george_museum_leverianum_containing_select_specimens_from_the_mus044144).jpg?w=1)
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SHAW, George (1751-1813). Museum Leverianum containing select specimens from the museum of Sir Ashton Lever. [London:] James Parkinson, 1792-1796.
6 parts in 2 volumes, 4° (288 x 220mm and 275 x 220mm). Titles and text to both parts in Latin and English. 72 hand-coloured engraved plates after Sarah Stone, Philip Reinagle, Charles Reuben Ryley, Sydenham Edwards and others. (Occasional light offsetting.) Contemporary green straight-grained morocco gilt, and contemporary green half morocco and textured cloth sides, edges gilt (extremities lightly rubbed, spine of the second vol. evenly faded). Provenance: Thomas Philip, Earl de Grey (Wrest Park bookplate in both volumes).
FIRST EDITION OF THIS SCARCE RECORD OF ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS OF EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND, including contributions from Philip Reinagle and Sarah Stone. The museum was started by Sir Ashton Lever (1729-1788) and was initially based at his home, Alkrington Hall, near Manchester. In 1774, in an attempt to make the museum self-financing, Lever leased Leicester House in London (on the site of what is now Leicester Square), and in early 1775 opened the museum to the public. In spite of its enormous popularity, Sir Ashton was forced to sell the museum in 1784 to recoup the cost of his acquisitions. The collection of 28,000 items had been valued at £53,000 in 1783 when it was turned down by the British Museum, but Parliament agreed to allow Lever to sell it by public lottery. James Parkinson produced the winning ticket and proved adept at advertising the museum and retaining the public's interest -- the present work constitutes perhaps the most lasting aspect of his entrepreneurial spirit -- but he was eventually forced to break it up and sell by auction over the course of sixty-five days between 5 May and 19 July 1806. The majority of the plates are after the drawings by Charles Reuben Ryley (1752-1798), a highly talented artist who had won a Royal Academy gold medal in 1780 and decorated Goodwood House for the Duke of Richmond. Sarah Stone's work is represented by one signed image ('The Rock Manakin') and one unsigned ('The Splendid Parrot'). Philip Reinagle, who later worked with Thornton on his Temple of Flora, supplied seven images. Cf. Christine Jackson, Sarah Stone, 1998. Fine Bird Books, p.142; Nissen ZBI 3835; Wood 566. (2)
6 parts in 2 volumes, 4° (288 x 220mm and 275 x 220mm). Titles and text to both parts in Latin and English. 72 hand-coloured engraved plates after Sarah Stone, Philip Reinagle, Charles Reuben Ryley, Sydenham Edwards and others. (Occasional light offsetting.) Contemporary green straight-grained morocco gilt, and contemporary green half morocco and textured cloth sides, edges gilt (extremities lightly rubbed, spine of the second vol. evenly faded). Provenance: Thomas Philip, Earl de Grey (Wrest Park bookplate in both volumes).
FIRST EDITION OF THIS SCARCE RECORD OF ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS OF EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND, including contributions from Philip Reinagle and Sarah Stone. The museum was started by Sir Ashton Lever (1729-1788) and was initially based at his home, Alkrington Hall, near Manchester. In 1774, in an attempt to make the museum self-financing, Lever leased Leicester House in London (on the site of what is now Leicester Square), and in early 1775 opened the museum to the public. In spite of its enormous popularity, Sir Ashton was forced to sell the museum in 1784 to recoup the cost of his acquisitions. The collection of 28,000 items had been valued at £53,000 in 1783 when it was turned down by the British Museum, but Parliament agreed to allow Lever to sell it by public lottery. James Parkinson produced the winning ticket and proved adept at advertising the museum and retaining the public's interest -- the present work constitutes perhaps the most lasting aspect of his entrepreneurial spirit -- but he was eventually forced to break it up and sell by auction over the course of sixty-five days between 5 May and 19 July 1806. The majority of the plates are after the drawings by Charles Reuben Ryley (1752-1798), a highly talented artist who had won a Royal Academy gold medal in 1780 and decorated Goodwood House for the Duke of Richmond. Sarah Stone's work is represented by one signed image ('The Rock Manakin') and one unsigned ('The Splendid Parrot'). Philip Reinagle, who later worked with Thornton on his Temple of Flora, supplied seven images. Cf. Christine Jackson, Sarah Stone, 1998. Fine Bird Books, p.142; Nissen ZBI 3835; Wood 566. (2)
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