A History of British Birds.
by BEWICK, Thomas
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Newcastle: Printed by Sol. Hodgson, for Beilby & Bewick; Printed by Edward Walker for T. Bewick,, 1797 & 1804. A milestone in wood engraving and a classic bird book 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. Two 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. Roscoe 15e & 17d.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Peter Harrington (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 168808
- Title
- A History of British Birds.
- Author
- BEWICK, Thomas
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Place of Publication
- Newcastle: Printed by Sol. Hodgson, for Beilby & Bewick; Printed by Edward Walker for T. Bewick,
- Date Published
- 1797 & 1804
- Note
- May be a multi-volume set and require additional postage.
Terms of Sale
Peter Harrington
All major credit cards are accepted. Both UK pounds and US dollars (exchange rate to be agreed) accepted. Books may be returned within 14 days of receipt for any reason, please notify first of returned goods.
About the Seller
Peter Harrington
Biblio member since 2006
London
About Peter Harrington
Since its establishment, Peter Harrington has specialised in sourcing, selling and buying the finest quality original first editions, signed, rare and antiquarian books, fine bindings and library sets. Peter Harrington first began selling rare books from the Chelsea Antiques Market on London's King's Road. For the past twenty years the business has been run by Pom Harrington, Peter's son.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Gutter
- The inside margin of a book, connecting the pages to the joints near the binding.
- 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...
- 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...
- Second State
- used in book collecting to refer to a first edition, but after some change has been made in the printing, such as a correction,...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Hinge
- The portion of the book closest to the spine that allows the book to be opened and closed.
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- Vignette
- A decorative design or illustration placed at the beginning or end of a ...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- 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...
- Cracked
- In reference to a hinge or a book's binding, means that the glue which holds the opposing leaves has allowed them to separate,...