The Quadrupeds of North America

New York: George L. Lockwood, [ca. 1870]. Three volumes. Illustrated with 155 hand-colored lithographic plates by W.E. Hitchcock and R. Trembly after J.J. and John Wodehouse Audubon. Fourth octavo edition. Royal 8vo. Publisher's original full brown morocco, with elaborate design in blind to borders of boards, spines with five raised bands, gilt lettering, and decoration in blind, red marbled endpapers, and all edges gilt. Very good or better set, with light rubbing to spines (bright gilt) and corners, early 20th century ownership inscription by industrialist J. G. Bradley to front flyleaf of Vol. I, some occasional light staining and soiling to pages and plates, discrete repair to "Moose Deer" plate between pp. 178-179 in Vol. 2, and a closed tear to bottom edge of "Carolina Shrew" plate between pp. 176-177 in Vol. 2. Overall, a gorgeous set. First published as "The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America" in 30 parts between 1845 and 1848, this was the last major work by artist and naturalist John James Audubon, best known for his ambitious ornithological color-plate book, Birds of America (1827-1838). Audubon began working on Quadrupeds in the late 1830s, and even traveled out west in 1843 to study North American animals in their natural habitats for the project. Because of his failing health Audubon only drew about half of the 155 animals featured in Quadrupeds - the other half were drawn by his son, John Woodhouse Audubon. Other key contributors to the project were Audubon's other son, Victor Gifford Audubon, who provided landscape artwork, printmaker John T. Bowen, who hand-colored the drawings, and naturalist and clergyman John Bachman, who wrote scientific descriptions for the animals. Audubon biographer William Souder called Quadrupeds "an incomplete but beautiful farewell from an American master." The work has also been called "the most successful large color-plate book to be produced in America in the 19th century" (Christie's). This copy includes a gift inscription from industrialist Joseph Gardner ("J. G.") Bradley (1888 - 1971) to his wife, Mabel Warren Bradley. The son of Supreme Court Justice member Joseph P. Bradley, J. G. held several important positions in his lifetime, including president of the Elk River Coal & Lumber Company and president of the West Virginia Coal Association. . Hard Cover. Very Good.