Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$115.38 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Eighth Edition. Hardback. 8vo. pp x, 526, 300+ figures and vignettes. Rebound in half tan leather with marbled boards, lettered gilt at the spine with 5 raised bands. Bewick's first book, the predecessor to his History of Birds. Some rubbing at spine ends and hinges, otherwise very good with clean text.
Seller: Burwood Books, Wickham Market, United Kingdom
Price: US$121.79 + shipping
Condition: Fair
Description: Eighth edition. Acceptable, tan leather hard cover with complementary pastedowns, endpapers and page block. Shelf and handling wear notable to cover, edges and corners. Spine covering completely detached (enclosed, but significantly chipped at head and foot). However, pages are securely bound and text and drawings remain clear and legible. CN
Seller: PsychoBabel & Skoob Books, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OXON, United Kingdom
Price: US$125.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Eighth Edition. Contemporary brown full leather binding. Gilt lettering on red leather spine label. Lightly embossed borders decorations on front and back covers. All edges marbled. 5 1/2" x 8 3/4." 526 pages, complete. Many black-and-white illustrations, complete. Pages are very clean and intact except for light age toning, moderate foxing (mostly concentrated in front pages), small occasional chips limited to the edges, and fading to marbled edges. Covers are very clean and intact except for slight wear to extremities, light rubbing, and possible fading along spine. Binding is tight. A Very Good copy. Thomas Bewick (c. 1753-1828) was an English wood engraver and natural history writer. First published in 1790, A General History of Quadrupeds is a compendium describing different four-footed animals, many of which are also illustrated through Bewick's engravings. For this book, Bewick drew upon the (often limited) scientific research available and his own knowledge and observations of the natural world. When such knowledge or information was unavailable, Bewick sometimes took creative license in his renditions of unfamiliar animals (such as the giraffe and hippopotamus) and their corresponding natural environments. The descriptions for each animal range from a brief paragraph to several pages. The late eighteenth century marked a time when the British public had an increased interest in the natural sciences. This interest, coupled with the book's readable text and Bewick's charming engravings, secured his General History of Quadrupeds as a commercial success. A sampling of the quadrupeds described herein are the horse, cow, ox, sheep, goat, musk deer, cameleopard, camel, peccary, rhinoceros, elephant, lion, tiger, serval , ichneumon, genet, polar bear, dog (various breeds), wolf, rabbit, guinea pig, capybara, dormouse, squirrel, jerboa, beaver, radiated mole, opossum, kangaroo, capuchin monkey, orangutan, porcupine, tanrec, sea otter, armadillo, long-eared bat, wombat, and "an amphibious animal" (the yet-to-be-named platypus). Several of Bewick's engravings feature his signature trademark of creating imaginative environments for his depicted subjects. For example, the "American Elk" shows one such elk in the foreground but with another fleeing for its life from hunters in the background.
Seller: Barry Cassidy Rare Books, Sacramento, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$153.84 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Eighth edition, x, 526pp., illustrated with Bewick's engravings through text, contemporary ink signature of Rev C.H. Pelsford on title page, some foxing to prelims and final few pages, 20th century half calf and boards, t.e.g. other uncut, slightly rubbed, embossed calf spine, bands, gilt title, T Bewick and Son, Newcastle, 1824. Size: 8.5 x 5.5 Ins
Seller: Old Hall Bookshop, ABA ILAB PBFA BA, Brackley, United Kingdom
Price: US$219.22 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: A scruffy copy for rebinding, nevertheless a rare item and full of absolutely fascinating descriptions and hundreds of wonderful woodcuts, The pages are stained throughout to the top corner - unfortunate old water damage. Still, once rebound, this would be a book to be cherished and enjoyed by all who want to delve into the illustrated history of four-legged animals.
Seller: MANOR COLLECTABLES, WOODHALL SPA, LINCS, United Kingdom
Price: US$249.99 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 8th edition; 8vo; x & 526 pages; illustrated throughout with wood engravings by Thomas Bewick; hardback: contemporary half-leather, with marbled paper-covered boards, five raised bands to spine, with leather label and gilt decoration; rubing to edges and corners, top of front joint just beginning to weaken, otherwise externally very good; internally the index page has been repaired, and there are a very few spots of light foxing, but otherwise a very clean copy. Printed by Edw. Walker, for Thomas Bewick & Son. The last edition published during Bewick's lifetime.
Seller: Andrew Johnson Books, Shipston-on-Stour, United Kingdom
Price: US$250.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: A new full red morocco leather binding in exceptional condition. The paper is fine, with no stains, no browning and no foxing. The advantage of the later editions is the addition of several animals from New South Wales. Pages x, 526. Bewick set a new standard for quality woodcuts with this famous book, first published in 1790. The binding has raised bands on the spine and bright gilt title and author lettering, and gilt emblems in the other four spine panels. Handsewn Japanese silk endbands. Hand marbled endpapers from Scotland. Just barely a quarton at ten inches tall.
Seller: Craftsbury Antiquarian Books, Craftsbury Common, VT, U.S.A.
Price: US$256.40 + shipping
Description: Printed by Edw. Walker. for T. Bewick and Son; Longman and Co. 1824. Eighth Edition. x, 526 pages. Illustrated throughout with Bewick's famous wood engravings. Bound in nineteenth century half black morocco gilt, marbled boards, edges and endpapers. Boards slightly rubbed, small neat ownership stamp and inscription to prelims. Pages 115/6 professionally repaired without loss otherwise a remarkably clean and sound copy of this classic work on animals.
Seller: Addyman Books, Hay-on-Wye, United Kingdom
Price: US$320.50 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Newcastle upon Tyne: Printed by Edw. Walker for T Bewick, and Son, Eighth Edition, 1824. Recent half calf binding with marbled boards, gilt titles, binding tight. Illustrated in the text throughout. x, 526pp. Provenance: no bookplates or signatures. Approximately 8 ¾ inches tall. Condition Report Externally Spine very good condition gilt titles, minor marks. Joints very good condition sound. Corners very good condition still sharp. Boards very good condition marbled, minor marks. Page edges good condition darkened. See above and photos. Internally Hinges very good condition good and solid. Paste downs very good condition new. End papers very good condition new. Title good condition tanned, bottom corner cut off. Pages good condition tanned with minor marks. Binding very good condition solid. See photos. Publisher: see above Publication Date: 1824 Binding: Hardback
Seller: Louis88Books (Members of the PBFA), Andover, United Kingdom
Bewick, Thomas. A General History Of Quadrupeds. T. Bewick et al, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1824.
Price: US$324.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: Eighth edition. Bound in full leather with the title and decorations stamped in gilt on the spine, all edges marbled and marbled end papers. Minor wear at extremities, library call number in gilt on the front, otherwise fine condition. Profusely illustrated with wood-engravings of the animals from adive to zorilla, including the then unnamed platypus, referred to as "an amphibious animal."
Seller: James & Mary Laurie, Booksellers A.B.A.A, Minneapolis, MN, U.S.A.