Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$191.11 + shipping
Description: Leather bound hardbacks copiously illustrated. Volume I (Land Birds) has xxxviii + 386 pages; volume II (Water Birds) has xx + 400 pages, the set is complete. The full speckled calf bindings have some rubbing, the front hinge of the second volume is weak, the other hinges are strong and the contents well bound in. The title leaves have owners' inscriptions. The is some light worming to the titles and prelims. Pages 367-388 the final page of vol. II have some foxing, everything else is clean and crisp.
Seller: Gage Postal Books, Westcliff-on-Sea, United Kingdom
Price: US$229.33 + shipping
Description: The first edition of Thomas Bewick's history of British birds bound with a supplement published later in 1821, in leather binding. First edition of History of British Birds by Thomas Bewick in half morocco binding.This is Volume I only of the two volume set, discussing a History and Description of Land Birds.Bound with Part I of A Supplement to the History of British Birds, published in 1821.Densely illustrated with many in-text illustrations by Thomas Bewick, an English wood-engraver and natural history author. Collated and complete with the frontispiece.Includes a signed letter from the bookseller Horace G. Commin, based in Bournemouth, from 1909 addressed to C. H. Woodhouse, who bought this book from him. This work includes his book plate to the first pastedown.Prior to this, this work was from the library of a well knnwon Naturalist C. E. Morris of St Nicolas Salisbury. With his ink inscriptions to the title pages from 1894, and other owner's ink inscriptions including relative Emily Morres from 1879 and 1826. In half morocco binding and cloth boards. Externally, very smart. There is some minor rubbing to the head and tail of the spine and to the extremities. Prior owner's book plate to the first pastedown and prior owner's ink inscriptions to both title pages. Internally, firmly bound. The pages are bright and clean with some spotting to the first few pages only. Very Good Indeed
Seller: Rooke Books PBFA, Bath, United Kingdom
Price: US$396.47 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: ". Part One Containing the History and Description of Land Birds; Part II. Containing the History and Description of Water Birds ." bound together in one volume. The supplementary volumes were published in 1821. Printed by Edward Walker, Pilgrim-Street, for T. Bewick : Sold by Him and E.Charnley, Newcastle; and Longman and Co., London. The three volumes have been beautifully rebound in full leather, with a decorative gilt edge and with five raised bands and a gilt decoration and gilt lettering to spine. It retains the original end papers and paste downs, these are badly foxed, and indeed there is intermittent foxing throughout all three volumes. The front board of Volume 2 has been damaged by what appears to be a series of pin pricks. It is only noticeable close up. The first 23 pages also appear to have suffered some sort of water spillage, but have dried nicely. Vol.I and the Supplementary volume have a gift inscription of the blank page - "Fannie M. Sawrey(?) from mother". The supplementary volume was published in 1821. Printed by Edward Walker, Pilgrim-Street, for T. Bewick : Sold by Him and E.Charnley, Newcastle; and Longman and Co., London. Vol. 1: vi plus xxxviii, 386pp. Vol.2: iv, plus xx, 400 pages. Both Supplementary volumes have 50 pages. A handsome set.
Seller: Good Reading Secondhand Books, Benalla, VIC, Australia
Price: US$600.00 + shipping
Description: Two Volumes. Volume I. History and Description of Land Birds; Volume II. History and Description of Water Birds. pp. 386; 400. Text and vignette illustrations by Bewick throughout. 8vo. 230 mm. Half morocco leather binding by Root & Son. Spine lettered in gilt. All edges gold gilt. Joints tender but holding. Text very clean. A pencil note describes these as Large Paper copies but they dont seem remarkable in that regard to me. In a home-made paste paper slip case. VERY GOOD +. This extensive overview of the birds of the British Isles covers 283 different species and is illustrated throughout with a total of 445 woodcut fine line engravings. Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) was an English wood-engraver and author. Bewick's art is considered the pinnacle of wood engraving. This is due both to his skill and to the method which he developed. Unlike the woodcut technique of his predecessors, Bewick carved against the grain, in hard box wood, using fine tools normally favored by metal engravers. This provided a long lasting and detailed method for book illustration and Bewick was the first master of fine wood engraving. W146
Seller: FAMILY ALBUM, Kinzers, PA, U.S.A.
Price: US$850.00 + shipping
Description: Vol.1: 10 1/4x 6 1/2". Quarto. (xxx) [1] 335pp. [1]. Vol.2: 9x6 1/4". Small quarto. (xx) 400pp. Bound in period green pebbled leather, sunned along extremities and spine to a tan color. Gilt lettering and raised band on the spine. Top edge of vol.1 in gilt. Marbled endpapers. Woodcut engraved vignettes on title pages. First edition copies of both the first and second volumes of Thomas Bewick's groundbreaking work of ornithology. The work is a comprehensive overview of the birds of the British isles, including discussion of 283 different species and illustrated throughout with a total of 445 woodcut engravings by Bewick the British engraver and naturalist. The first volume (1797) features land birds, while the second (1804) is about water birds. Extensive tables of contents at the front. The final page of the first volume contains publisher's advertisements. Bindings with sunning to extremities, with some minor to light rubbing to extremities including the spines. Interiors with sporadic minor to light foxing and smudges throughout (significantly less so in vol.2). Most images throughout still clean and bright. Bindings relatively tight. Bindings in very good-, interiors in good to good+ condition overall. Alternate title: A History of British Birds.
Seller: ERIC CHAIM KLINE, BOOKSELLER (ABAA ILAB), Santa Monica, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$1246.01 + shipping
Description: British Birds 2 Volumes, FIRST EDITIONS, FIRST ISSUES (Thumb Print Edition, p.175 Volume I). Quadrupeds, Second and Best Edition (Larger and Improved Edition published just a year after the First). 3 Volumes in Uniform Bindings. 8vo. full mottled brown calf, rebacked using original spines with raised bands, dark red and dark green title labels, gilt, with gilt decoration to spines and gilt borders to boards. All edges lightly speckled in blue. Marbled endpapers. 335pp., 400pp., 483pp. All volumes profusely illustrated with Bewick's woodcuts. Pencil notes to early blanks of Volume I. Bookplate and red sticker to front pastedown of Volume II. Occasional light foxing, heavier to prelims and parts of Volume III. Ink smudges to foredge of Volumes I and III. Covers somewhat rubbed and edgeworn but overall a VERY GOOD, HANDSOME SET. (Shelf 4) PLEASE NOTE: VERY Heavy set (3.3 kg+) Postage rates vary according to destination, weight and speed. For an accurate overseas quote PLEASE either call or email us before ordering. [AbeBooks shipping quote is based on items weighing up to 1 kilo only]. Buyer is responsible for any additional duties, taxes, or fees required by recipient's country.** Pictures available upon request.** Visit our homepage for our shop opening hours. Over 20,000 books in stock - come and browse. PayPal, credit and most debit cards welcome. Books posted worldwide. For any queries please contact us direct.
Seller: Chaucer Bookshop ABA ILAB, Canterbury, United Kingdom
Price: US$1500.00 + shipping
Condition: Fine
Description: Newcastle: Printed by Edward Walker, for T. Bewick: Sold by Him, and Longman and Rees, London, 1804. 8vo (205 x 125 mm). 2 volumes. Apparently a uniform edition published by Walker. 8vo. xxxviii (preface & introduction) + 346pp; xx (advertisement & introduction) + 400pp. Vol. I: Containing the History and Description of Land Birds. Vol. II: Containing the History and Description of Water Birds. Title vignettes and many woodcuts throughout the text by T. Bewick. Original sprinkled and tree calf boards with new elaborate period-style spines by Courtland Benson. Bird motifs in spine panels, contrasting title labels. Clean within. A fine set. Thomas Bewick is often credited with rediscovering and popularizing the technique of wood engraving. His engravings are notable for their contrasts and half tones. A precursor to all modern field guides, this work describes each major British bird species with detailed observations and engravings based on Bewick's own watercolour studies.
Seller: Bjarne Tokerud Bookseller, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Price: US$1592.55 + shipping
Description: First edition of volume II, second edition of volume I, both demy octavo issues and attractively bound. Bewick's exquisitely engraved illustrations of British birds established his reputation as one of the country's best engravers and are widely considered to be his finest work. Bewick's books were six years in the making and eventually published to even greater acclaim than the Quadrupeds of 1790. "Apart from the excellence of the principal figures, the numerous tailpiece vignettes that enlivened every spare space in the book came in for special notice. Apart from lovingly observed landscape settings, the narrative content of many of Bewick's tailpieces is often ironic and displays a mordant view of the world and human folly. Any comparison of Bewick's work with that of his predecessors makes clear how original it appeared at the time. Not only was there truth in outline and animated posture, but the habitat was beautifully realized" (ODNB). Volume II is in Roscoe's Variant F, with the vignettes on pages 136, 269, and 369 in the second state, the text at pp. 174 and 176 running to 22 and 13 lines, and the vignette showing a man and a woman crossing a moor in a storm at page 176. Roscoe 15e & 17d. 2 volumes, octavo (198 x 126 mm). Late 19th-century red hard-grain morocco, spines with raised bands, gilt lettering and decoration in compartments, elaborate gilt border to covers, gilt fleurons at corners, board edges and turn-ins ruled in gilt, marbled endpapers, edges gilt. Wood-engraved title vignettes, illustrations, and tailpieces by Bewick throughout. 20th-century armorial bookplate of British collector W. T. Wiggins-Davies on front pastedowns, his library shelf labels on front free endpapers. Extremities sometime retouched with colour, inner hinges of vol. I split (front hinge and gutter of first blank repaired with tape), inner hinges of vol. II cracked, but sound, short closed tear to one leaf, intermittent foxing or light marks, else generally clean. A just about very good set.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom