[Natural History] Actinologia Britannica. A History of the British Sea Anemones and Corals. With Coloured Figures of the Species and Principal Varieties [Unrecorded binding variant]
by GOSSE, Philip Henry (1810-1888)
- Used
- Condition
- Near Fine+
- Seller
-
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Van Voorst, Paternoster Row, 1860. Decorative Cloth. Near Fine+. First and only hardcover edition of Gosse's finest work, marking a "major advance in natural history book illustration intended for the mass market." (ODNB). Tall 8vo: xl,362,[2],8pp (pp 7-10 are cancels), complete with 12 tissue-guarded plates (11 of which are chromolithographs) by William Dickes, woodcuts in text, erratum slip tipped in at p. 1. Publisher's original unrecorded textured green cloth binding (similar to but distinct from "Case A" in Freeman & Wertheimer), gilt lettering and seaweed decoration to covers and spine, covers elaborately paneled in blind. A superb recased copy, binding tight and secure, faint lilac stamp of Barnsley Naturalists' Society to half-title and margins of plates, mild offsetting but generally excellent, clean condition throughout. Nissen 1641. Freeman (Natural History Books) 1390. Freeman & Wertheimer 108. Bibliotheca Bibliographici 2438. First issued in 12 monthly parts, from 1858 to 1860. Gosse was a naturalist, popularizer, inventor of the sea-water aquarium, and innovator in the study of marine biology. British Sea Anemones and Corals came late in his career. Reviewers especially praised the color lithographs made from Gosse's own watercolors. The Literary Gazette called Gosse "alone and unrivalled in the extremely difficult art of drawing objects of zoology so as to satisfy the requirements of science" as well as provide "vivid aesthetic impressions." Sotherans calls the plates "simultaneously meticulous, accurate and, partly due to the work of the printer Dickes, eerily beautiful." N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).
Details
- Bookseller
- Fine Editions Ltd (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- BB1412
- Title
- [Natural History] Actinologia Britannica. A History of the British Sea Anemones and Corals. With Coloured Figures of the Species and Principal Varieties [Unrecorded binding variant]
- Author
- GOSSE, Philip Henry (1810-1888)
- Format/Binding
- Decorative Cloth
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine+
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Van Voorst, Paternoster Row
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1860
- Keywords
- Sea anemones Great Britain Identification. Corals Great Britain Identification. Marine animals Great Britain. Corals. Marine animals. Sea anemones.
- Bookseller catalogs
- XIX CENTURY;
Terms of Sale
Fine Editions Ltd
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About the Seller
Fine Editions Ltd
Biblio member since 2005
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
About Fine Editions Ltd
Fine Editions specializes in First Editions of English and American Literature, Landmarks In Science and the History Of Ideas, Natural History and Color-Plate books, Travel and Voyages, and books on Gardening and Landscape Design. Our hallmark is condition: with few exceptions (mostly relating to our antiquarian stock), all books sold are in Near Fine or better conditions and all are highly collectible.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Mass Market
- Mass market paperback books, or MMPBs, are printed for large audiences cheaply. This means that they are smaller, usually 4...
- 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...
- Tipped In
- Tipped In is used to describe something which has been glued into a book. Tipped-in items can include photos, book plates,...
- Tight
- Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.