Sicklebird, Epimachus speciosus by Richard Bowdler Sharpe - 1891-98: Monograph of the Paradiseidae, or Birds of Paradise, and Ptilonorhynchidae, or Bower-birds

Nuremberg:: Trew, Christoph Jakob and Wirsing, A.L.,, 1750-86.. first. Fine with original hand-coloring. A Fine original hand-colored copperplate engraving. Folio (12.5/8 x 19.25 inches, 32.05 x 48.89 cm). Presented matted in an Ivory rag mat with gilt line decoration. Sized to 18.5 x 24.5 inches, 46.99 x 62.23 cm). One of the rarest, and most elusive, of all botanical works. As stated in Gordon Dunthorne's Flower and Fruit Prints of the Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Centuries, London. 1938: Hortus Nitidissimis is one of the finest records of the cultivated flowers of the period, containing full-sized coloured of the figures. This is the showiest of the Florilegia; garden and florist's flowers painted for their beauty opposed to their scientific appeal. Many of the botanicals were rendered and appropriately credited to Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-70). Ehret's contribution to the art of botanical illustration is so instrumental, that in his well-referenced and essential tome… Read More

New York & Philadelphia:: Audubon, J. J. & Chevalier, J.B.,, 1840-44.. First Royal Octavo. Fine condition with bright original hand-coloring. A fine original hand-colored lithograph on paper. Sheet size: 6.5 x 10.25 inches. Drawn from nature by John James Audubon, Fellow of the Royal Society, Fellow of the Linnaean Society. Lithographed, printed and colored by JT Bowen, Philadelphia for the First Royal Octavo Edition of John James Audubon's The Birds of America. Includes the text from Audubon's Ornithological Biography. The Royal Octavo Edition represents John James Audubon's (1785-1851) desire to create an affordable work based on his magnum opus; the Double Elephant Folio Edition of The Birds of America. London: Published by the Author, 1827-38, with engravings produced by William H. Lizars and Robert Havell, Jr. after Audubon's dramatic life-sized portraits of North American birds set amidst their native foliage and surroundings. During the… Read More

New York & Philadelphia:: Audubon, J. J. & Chevalier, J.B.,, 1840-44.. First Royal Octavo. Fine condition with bright original hand-coloring. A fine original hand-colored lithograph on paper. Sheet size: 6.5 x 10.25 inches. Drawn from nature by John James Audubon, Fellow of the Royal Society, Fellow of the Linnaean Society. Lithographed, printed and colored by JT Bowen, Philadelphia for the First Royal Octavo Edition of John James Audubon's The Birds of America. Includes the text from Audubon's Ornithological Biography. The Royal Octavo Edition represents John James Audubon's (1785-1851) desire to create an affordable work based on his magnum opus; the Double Elephant Folio Edition of The Birds of America. London: Published by the Author, 1827-38, with engravings produced by William H. Lizars and Robert Havell, Jr. after Audubon's dramatic life-sized portraits of North American birds set amidst their native foliage and surroundings. During the… Read More

London: Rowland Ward, Limited, 1908. First Edition . Cloth - Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. 115 pages. Blue cloth with gilt stamped lettering and photograph in-lay. Top edge is gilded. Covers show just a hint of rubbing, and remain bright and clean. Book plate of J. H. Bullard on front paste down, and his inked name with the date of 1922 is seen on the first blank page following free end page. Small book seller's decal at bottom of front free end page, and light rubbing/scuffs can be seen on the same page. Volume remains tight and is otherwise bright and clean. A lovely copy of this scarce title.

Amsterdam: Chez l'honore et fils, libraires, 1748. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. 2 vols. in one. 8vo. I: [10], cxix, [7], 208 pp. + 1 f. ("Errata" for Tom. 1). II: [2], 231 pp. + 1 f. ("Addition") + 1 f. ("Errata" for Tom 1 [sic]). First title page with unobtrusive paper defect on lower margin, not affecting text; this copy is lacking half-title and Errata leaf for Tom. 2. Very attractive 19th-century French red glazed boards, red morocco spine, lettered in gilt directly (two insignificant worm-holes on lower hinge, leading nowhere; trifle wear to binding extremities. Completely unsophisticated. First printing of "Telliamed," in every way a remarkable book. Disguised as an Oriental fantasy, it contains perhaps the earliest appearance of one of the most important of all evolution speculations, namely the so-called ultra-neptunian theory: that the entire Earth was, and is, a marine deposit, and that all life on land originated from creatures of the sea. Maillet hypothesized that the earth was… Read More

Vicenza: Per il Megietti, 1622. Hardcover. [16], 217pp (but actually 219 since page numbers 207 and 208 are repeated). Period full vellum lettered in gold on the spine, top edge gilt. With three woodcuts (two printer's devices and one illustration of tools). Early edition of this important treatise on falconry describing all the different breeds of falcons, their training and care and including a section on the care of hunting dogs. Small hole on the margin of page 216, but an extremely clean and pleasing copy nonetheless. Brunet V.331; Graesse VI.380. ; Octavo.

London:: William Mackenzie, (1879)., 1879. Large 4to. (374 x 275 mm) xxvi, 204 pp. 41 colored full-page chromolithographs (including frontispiece), 64 engraved vignettes, red and black title-page, top edge gilt. Modern dark brown quarter morocco over original cloth boards, raised bands, gilt-stamped spine title. Bookplate of James Jones. RARE. Fine. MAGNIFICENT CHROMOLITHOGRAPHS OF BRITISH FISH: FIRST EDITION, with all plates present and in fine condition. Sometimes bound as two volumes, but this copy is bound as one, and it is complete. This Victorian book is a gentleman's encyclopedia of the fresh water fish native to Britain. In addition to 41 stunning color full-page plates of each fish described, the book also has a steelcut vignette at the beginning of each description, as well as numerous diagrams and drawings. Reverend William Houghton, a Shropshire clergyman, produced this work with the angler in mind - opposed to the naturalist. Many of the fish are portrayed as game-landed freshwater fish… Read More

London: Henry Sotheran & Co. First Edition . Cloth - Hard Cover. Good/No Jacket. 4to. J. G. Keulemans. No date of publication, though 1887. 21 hand colored lithographic plates by J. G. Keulemans. Pebbled green cloth covers, with gilt stamped lettering and black stamped ruled decoration. Cloth covers are a little rubbed and show some light wear at corners and spine ends. Lettering remains bright, though covers show a few scuffs and light rubbing. Top hinge is cracked, and there is a little separation between title page and preface page. Volume remains tight, however. Scattered light foxing, mostly on first and last few leaves. The first and last plate are slightly darkened and show a little very light foxing. Other plates are very good.

London: Rowland Ward, Limited, 1898. First Edition . Cloth - Hard Cover. Good-/No Jacket. 4to. J. Smit. 329 pages, plus 24 hand colored plates after J. Smit. Number 474 of 500 copies numbered and signed by the publisher. Green cloth covers are heavily rubbed, and worn along edges. Wear is more toward fore edge and spine still looks good. All lettering on cover remains good. Small worm holes on both boards, with a little damage to blank front free end page, half title, title, and dedication pages. Damage is in blank spaces and does not affect any lettering. Small institution stamp on blank front free end page. Small tears at top edge of title page and dedication page. Last blank leaf and blank rear end leave are separated from text block though remain tightly attached at bottom cover. Plates are very slightly darkened near edges. Contents are otherwise bright, clean, and intact.

A Delineation by pen and pencil of the mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, water-falls, shores, cañons, valleys, cities, and other picturesque features of our country. With illustrations of steel and wood, by eminent American artists. Edited by William Cullen Bryant. 2 Vols. 33x26 cm. Vol.I: 568 pp.+ 25 full-page engravings on steel h.t. Vol.II: vi+576 pp.+25 full-page engravings on steel h.t. Numerous engravings in-text. D. Appleton and Company, New York, 1872-1874.
--- Contemporary full leather binding with gilt letters and decoration. All edges gilt. Marbled endpapers. Very tight binding, repaired by professional bookbinder. Previous owner name written on the first two pages of each volume. Some foxing, sometimes affecting engravings. A few pages have traces of water (more photos available upon request - additional postage due to heavy weight).
--- "Picturesque America was a conspicuous presence in the popular culture of the United States in the post-Civil War years. First published as a magazine… Read More