The Tower Menagerie: Comprising the Natural History of the Animals Contained in that Establishment; with Anecdotes of their Characters and History...illustrated..
by [BENNETT, Edward Turner]
- Used
- Condition
- A fine copy in a most attractive contemporary binding.
- Seller
-
Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
First edition. The menagerie in the Tower of London had been established in the mid-thirteenth century at which time it housed a white bear which bathed and fished in the River Thames. The fortunes of the zoo waxed and waned until 1822 when the new director, Alfred Cops, arrived to find no more than 'one grizzly bear, an elephant and one or two birds'. Within six years of his appointment, he had revitalised the collection and this description of some sixty species was completed each of which was drawn from life by William Harvey, friend and favourite pupil of Thomas Bewick, the fine English engraver (as borne out in the inked manuscript note of a previous owner).
The collection boasted kangaroos, "yellow" crested cockatoos and emus, all of which are depicted and described in some detail. It is remarkable to think that by this date the exotic fauna of Australia - so recently discovered - was available locally: "The Emeus, like the Kanguroos, have become to a certain extant naturalised in the Royal Park at Windsor, where they breed without difficulty and with no extraordinary precautions... The pair in the Tower were obtained from this establishment, where they were bred".
.Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Hordern House Rare Books (AU)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 4504295
- Title
- The Tower Menagerie: Comprising the Natural History of the Animals Contained in that Establishment; with Anecdotes of their Characters and History...illustrated..
- Author
- [BENNETT, Edward Turner]
- Book Condition
- Used - A fine copy in a most attractive contemporary binding.
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Robert Jennings
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1829
Terms of Sale
Hordern House Rare Books
14 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 14 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged. For full terms please visit our website.
About the Seller
Hordern House Rare Books
About Hordern House Rare Books
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...