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The British Miscellany: or coloured figures of new, rare, or little known Animal Subjects; many not before ascertained to be inhabitants of the British Isles; and chiefly in the possession of the Author
by James Sowerby
- Used
- very good
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Very Good/N
- Seller
-
Birsay, Orkney, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Printed by R Taylor & Co; and sold by the Author, 1806 A very good to near fine copy of this very scarce work by James Sowerby with 76 fine hand coloured plates. Issued in parts, this is in a near contemporary half morocco binding with the original wraps bound in at the rear. It was produced at a time when exploration and interest in natural sciences meant that many new animal species were being identified and this journal was intended to reference those that were native to the British Isles. Only Vol I and 2 parts of Vol II were ever published - with parts initially produced monthly with 4 plates each, and then bi-monthly with 8 plates. This copy has a page apologising for late delivery of the one of the parts because some of the manuscript was stolen on the 24th January 1806. The index to the work was completed after purchase of the stock by Bernard Quaritch in May 1875. The binding has small gilt-lined raised bands to the spine with gilt design in 5 of the 6 compartments and gilt titles. The boards are marbled. There is light rubbing to spine joints and some wear to corners with slight leather loss. Marbled surface lightly rubbed. Top page edges gilted. The endpapers are marbled to match the boards and there is a decorative bookplate with initials to the front pastedown. Contents: initial blank; smaller size title page 1806; title page dated 1804-1806; dedications 1 p; preface 2pp; 76 plates (of which 2 are folding) with accompanying text - paginated but numbering restarts; alphabetical index pp 133-137; wraps for parts. The contents are in near fine clean condition. There is occasional light offsetting from plates.
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Details
- Bookseller
- E C Books
(GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 032936
- Title
- The British Miscellany: or coloured figures of new, rare, or little known Animal Subjects; many not before ascertained to be inhabitants of the British Isles; and chiefly in the possession of the Author
- Author
- James Sowerby
- Illustrator
- James Sowerby
- Format/Binding
- Half-Leather
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Jacket Condition
- N
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Printed by R Taylor & Co; and sold by the Author
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1806
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Keywords
- james sowerby; british miscellany; early nineteenth century natural history;
- Bookseller catalogs
- NATURAL HISTORY;
- Size
- 8vo - over 7� - 9�" tall
Terms of Sale
E C Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
E C Books
Biblio member since 2011
Birsay, Orkney
About E C Books
E C Books is a small online bookselling business, specialising in pre 20th century works:natural history, science, history, and travel, aiming for rarer and more unusual books. Our largest stock area is Natural History, where we have a good range of books from the 1700-1800's, many finely illustrated. Other areas include children's books, particularly late 1800's-early 1900's - again illustrated; and literature pre 1900.When you order books from us we ensure that they are properly packed to protect condition, and we always use recorded or 'signed for' postal services for more secure delivery. Please note that we have recently moved to the beautiful Orkney Islands, where we intend to open a bookshop over the next year. Because of our location we cannot guarantee 'next day' delivery but we will get your purchase to you as quickly and safely as we can.Please note that the buyer is responsible for the payment of any tax or duty on import.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- 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...
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- 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...
- 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"...
- 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...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- 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....
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
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