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Price: US$20000.00 + shipping
Description: (21 1/2 x 14 1/2 inches). 1p. list of subscribers. 32 fine hand-coloured lithographed plates after Gould and H. C. Richter. Contemporary green morocco gilt by Clyde, covers with wide decorative border tooled in gilt and blind with fillets and decorative rolls, spine in six compartments with raised bands, lettered in the second and third, the others with repeat decoration in gilt made up from various small tools, stylized foliage tools and a large central rococco tool, gilt turn-ins, cream/yellow glazed endpapers, gilt edges. A fine copy of the first edition of Gould's fourth monograph, in which he considerably enlarged the number of recorded species of the American partridge family. Besides the spectacular plates of American birds, this work is interesting for the light it throws on the all encompassing nature of science before specialization: Gould was inspired by the gift of an English Arctic explorer, received much useful information from a Scottish botanist and finally dedicated the work to the French ornithologist Prince Charles Lucien Bonaparte (1803-1857) the author of American Ornithology. In this, Gould's fourth monograph, he considerably enlarged the number of recorded species of the American partridge family. Gould was persuaded to undertake this project "by the sight of the beautiful Callipepla Californica, presented to the Zoological Society of London by Captain Beechey, in 1830. The graceful actions and elegant deportment of these birds inspired me with a desire to become thoroughly acquainted with the entire group of which they form a part; this desire was even strengthened by the details furnished to me by the late celebrated traveller and botanist, Mr. David Douglas, respecting species seen by him in California, of the existence of which we had until then no idea . In the course of my researches I have several times visited most of the public and many of the private collections of Europe, and have besides corresponded with various persons in America: the result is that I have had the pleasure of extending our knowledge of the group from eleven to no less than thirty-five species" (Preface). Anker 176; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.102; Nissen IVB 376; Sauer 13; Wood p.365; Zimmer p. 257.
Seller: Donald A. Heald Rare Books (ABAA), New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$24000.00 + shipping
Description: Large folio (21 4/8 x 14 4/8 inches). 32 hand-coloured lithographic plates by Gould and Henry Constantine Richter, printed by Hullmandel and Walton (some occasionally heavy spotting). Contemporary half green morocco, spine decorated in gilt, all edges gilt (cloth just starting to bubble and lift in a small area to upper cover, extremities rubbed). First edition. The first of Gould's monographs on gamebirds, and originally issued in three parts by subscription in 1844, 1846, and 1850. Inspired by the "Callipepla Californica" (or, California Quail) presented to the Zoological Society of London by Captain Frederick William Beechey (author of "Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Bering Strait", 1831) in 1830. Initially employed as a taxidermist [he was known as the 'bird-stuffer'] by the Zoological Society, Gould's fascination with birds began in the "late 1820s [when] a collection of birds from the Himalayan mountains arrived at the Society's museum and Gould conceived the idea of publishing a volume of imperial folio sized hand-coloured lithographs of the eighty species, with figures of a hundred birds (A Century of Birds Hitherto Unfigured from the Himalaya Mountains, 1830-32). Gould's friend and mentor N. A. Vigors supplied the text. Elizabeth Gould made the drawings and transferred them to the large lithographic stones. Having failed to find a publisher, Gould undertook to publish the work himself; it appeared in twenty monthly parts, four plates to a part, and was completed ahead of schedule. "With this volume Gould initiated a format of publishing that he was to continue for the next fifty years, although for future works he was to write his own text. Eventually fifty imperial folio volumes were published on the birds of the world, except Africa, and on the mammals of Australia-he always had a number of works in progress at the same time. Several smaller volumes, the majority not illustrated, were published, and he also presented more than 300 scientific papers. "His hand-coloured lithographic plates, more than 3300 in total, are called 'Gould plates'. Although he did not paint the final illustrations, this description is largely correct: he was the collector (especially in Australia) or purchaser of the specimens, the taxonomist, the publisher, the agent, and the distributor of the parts or volumes. He never claimed he was the artist for these plates, but repeatedly wrote of the 'rough sketches' he made from which, with reference to the specimens, his artists painted the finished drawings. The design and natural arrangement of the birds on the plates was due to the genius of John Gould, and a Gould plate has a distinctive beauty and quality. His wife was his first artist. She was followed by Edward Lear, Henry Constantine Richter, William Matthew Hart, and Joseph Wolf" (Gordon C. Sauer for DNB). Anker 176; Fine Bird Books, (1990) p.102; Nissen IVB 376; Sauer 13; Wood p. 365; Zimmer p.257. Catalogued by Kate Hunter
Seller: Arader Galleries - AraderNYC, New York, NY, U.S.A.