Popular British Ornithology containing a familiar and technical description of the birds of the British Isles
Year: 1849
Edition: First edition
Publisher: London, Reeve, Benham, and Reeve
Category: Arts &tc.
London, 1849, Reeve, Benham, and Reeve, 2, frontis, title page, ii, 320 pp, 8 (advertisem.), 2
with 20 plates (incl. Frontis.) finely coloured by hand, depicting 70 birds.
Original decorated cloth, rebacked with paper spine label, boards bumped and a bit soiled, however, still charming with a gilt stamp of two birds at their nest on the front board and the same image blindstamped on the backboard, as well as blindstamped ornamental borders on both boards. Edges darkened, however, the contents being very good and clean without browning or foxing, as well as the plates, which have been printed on some heavier paper and of which some heightened with gum arabic. Plate 14 bound between plates 9 and 10.
Gosse became famous with the publication of his “Birds of Jamaica” in 1847, accompanied by a beautiful (and precious) plate volume. Two years later this book about the birds of the British Isles was published.
Click on a picture to enlarge.
