Beschreibung:

American Ornithology; or, The Natural History of the Birds of the United States Author: Wilson, Alexander Place: Philadelphia Publisher: Bradford & Inskeep Date: 1808-1814 Description: 9 volumes. With 76 hand-colored copper-engraved plates from drawings by the author, engraved by Alexander Lawson G. Murray, Benjamin Tanner and J.G. Warnicke; some with tissue guards, either loose or bound in. (Folio) 35x27.8 cm (13¾x11"), period quarter morocco & marbled boards, spines ruled & lettered in gilt. First Edition. Nice set of Wilson's highly important ornithology, with striking hand-colored plates. Whitman Bennett (American 19th Century Color Plate Books) describes Wilson's work as "the first truly great American ornithology and also the first truly outstanding American color plate book of any type; absolutely basic as a collector's item, somewhat unjustly overshadowed by the enormous and more beautiful Audubon giant folios, actually printed in Great Britain..." Reese notes the set as "the first American work to use color plates to convey scientific information, and the first real combination of text and color illustrations published in the United States..." This is the first edition of the complete set (mixed sets are often seen), with Vol. I bearing the first issue point of the preface dated Sept. 1, 1808. Bennett p.114; Reese 3. Additional shipping charges may apply Lot Amendments Condition: Some wear to spine ends and corners, a few joints tender several with repairs; a half dozen of the plates with moderate to heavy foxing, occasional foxing to the others, offset from the plates to the adjacent pages and the tissue guards that are present; a very good set of one of the premier American color plate books and ornithological texts. Item number: 348001