Beschreibung:

MICHAUX, François-André-(1770-1855). Histoire des Arbres Forestiers de l'Amérique Septentrionale. Paris: L. Haussmann and Hautel, 1810-13. 3 volumes in 2, 8° in 4s (261 x 162mm). Titles, dedication, tables, errata, 138 stipple-engraved plates, printed in colour and finished by hand, by Bessin, Cally, Renard and others after Bessa, P.J. and H. J. Redouté and A. Riché. (Without the two 'bis' plates in vol. II, some offsetting and light staining, especially in vols. I-II.) Straight-grained blue morocco gilt, covers with borders composed of vine roll-tool within fillets, spines in six compartments, lettered in two, the others with foliate and acorn tools, g.e., by C. Smith with his ticket (joints neatly repaired, slight fading to parts of covers). FIRST EDITION of the first silva of North America. The present copy is Stafleu's "issue 2", of which apparently only 400 copies were printed. Volume I is Stafleu's "issue 3", with the imprint on the title as translated above. The text for the present copy is apparently complete, but none of the preliminary pages collate exactly as any of the copies seen by Stafleu. However, he records several variants, and because the work was issued in 24 fascicules over three years, minor differences between copies are not surprising. The two 'bis' plates are not present in all copies, and were intended to replace plates 5 (in vol. II, part 1) and 4 (in vol. II, part 3). Stafleu & Cowan 5961; Nissen BBI 1360; Great Flower Books p.68. (2)