Beschreibung:

AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES The Birds of America . New York: George R. Lockwood, n.d [1870-71]. Eight volumes, pebble-grained green morocco spines with bird emblems in gilt, smooth green morocco sides. top edge gilt. 10 3/4 x 7 inches (27 x 18 cm); half-titles and all preliminary matter and text present in all volumes, 500 finely hand-colored lithographic plates after Audubon protected by tissue guards. A very attractive set, internally clean and fresh. The text in this copy is slightly larger than the plates, and also larger than sets that we have sold in publisher's bindings, and it seems likely that it may be bound from the parts issue, untrimmed but for the top edge. Roe Lockwood & Son were Audubon's publishers for the second folio edition of Audubon's Birds, which was lithographed by Julius Bien after J. J. Audubon. This work was a commercial failure (in large part because of the outbreak of the Civil War) and was never completed. The expenses from this debacle resulted in the bankruptcy of the Audubon family's publishing activities, which had been operated by John Woodhouse Audubon the youngest son of the great natural historian. Lockwood, as major creditors, gained publication rights and the lithographic stones for Audubon's works, from which this final octavo edition was prepared. See (some citations for the original octavo edition) Bennett p. 5; Nissen 52; Reese 34; Sabin 2364; McGill/Wood p. 208; Ayer/Zimmer p. 22. C