SOWERBY, James (1755-1822). British Mineralogy: or coloured figures intended to elucidate the Mineralogy of Great Britain . London: R. Taylor and Co., and Arding and Merrett, sold by James Sowerby [1802]-1804-1817. 5 volumes, 8° (220 x 132mm). 550 hand-coloured engraved plates by James Sowerby many heightened with gum arabic, with contemporary newspaper clipping relating to amber neatly pasted onto p.148 of vol. III. (Some offsetting, occasional unobtrusive light spotting or browning.) Contemporary olive morocco gilt by Leighton, spine in six compartments, lettered in two, the others decorated with flower tools, gilt edges (spines slightly faded). FIRST EDITION OF SOWERBY'S RARE AND IMPORTANT WORK ON MINERALS. Originally issued in parts, British Mineralogy became an influential source of information at a time when the study of minerals was confined to the medical world. The wide scope of Sowerby's work, together with his meticulous and skilfully-coloured engravings after drawings of his own collection of mineralogical specimens, met his stated ambition in the preface, 'to leave no stone unturned, to make the work as universally useful as possible'. The misnumbering of plate 421 as 221 in this copy identifies it as an early issue. BM(NH) V, p.1982; Ward & Carozzi 2090. (5)
SOWERBY, James (1755-1822). British Mineralogy: or coloured figures intended to elucidate the Mineralogy of Great Britain . London: R. Taylor and Co., and Arding and Merrett, sold by James Sowerby [1802]-1804-1817. 5 volumes, 8° (220 x 132mm). 550 hand-coloured engraved plates by James Sowerby many heightened with gum arabic, with contemporary newspaper clipping relating to amber neatly pasted onto p.148 of vol. III. (Some offsetting, occasional unobtrusive light spotting or browning.) Contemporary olive morocco gilt by Leighton, spine in six compartments, lettered in two, the others decorated with flower tools, gilt edges (spines slightly faded). FIRST EDITION OF SOWERBY'S RARE AND IMPORTANT WORK ON MINERALS. Originally issued in parts, British Mineralogy became an influential source of information at a time when the study of minerals was confined to the medical world. The wide scope of Sowerby's work, together with his meticulous and skilfully-coloured engravings after drawings of his own collection of mineralogical specimens, met his stated ambition in the preface, 'to leave no stone unturned, to make the work as universally useful as possible'. The misnumbering of plate 421 as 221 in this copy identifies it as an early issue. BM(NH) V, p.1982; Ward & Carozzi 2090. (5)
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