Beschreibung:

AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES The Birds of America; from Original Drawings. London: Published by the Author 1827-1828. 4 vols., double elephant folio, 996 x 667 mm. (39 1/4 x 26 1/8 in.) etc. Bound upon completion of the work (the flyleaves of vol. 1 watermarked "J Whatman 1838"), in the sequence of bird families, in accordance with Audubon's Synopsis of the Birds of North America (Edinburgh 1839), with light pencil foliation, in half russia gilt over purple cloth sides, marbled endpapers. Rebacked and corners now renewed with gilt-tooled calf in replication of the original, and with the original stitching preserved, each volume in a protective cloth-over-wood portfolio, all by Aquarius of London. FIRST EDITION, engraved titles and 435 hand-colored etchings with aquatint engraving, by William Home Lizars of Edinburgh, Robert Havell Sr. and Robert Havell Jr. of London, after Audubon's original life-size watercolors, on J. Whatman and J. Whatman Turkey Mill paper with watermarks dated 1826-1838. AN EXCEPTIONALLY FINE COPY, THE PLATES IN SUPERB, VIVIDLY COLORED IMPRESSIONS AND SHOWING REMARKABLY LITTLE EVIDENCE OF HANDLING. The unusual method of binding the plates by families, and not by the numerical and chronological sequence in which they were published, has allowed the traditional first plates from each volume (Turkey cock, Raven, Canada Goose and Canvas-backed Duck) to remain in especially fine condition. [ with ] AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES Ornithological Biography; or, an Account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, accompanied by descriptions of the objects represented in the work entitled The Birds of America, and interspersed with delineations of American scenery and manners. Edinburgh: Adam Black 1831-39. 5 vols., 8vo [binding description]. FIRST EDITION. Volume I is the Copyright deposit copy. Bound in at end of volume I: AUDUBON. [Prospectus for The Birds of America ]. Under the Special Patronage of Her Most Excellent Majesty, Queen Adelaide. The Birds of America, engraved from drawings...by John James Audubon London: Published by the Author; and to be seen at Mr. R. Havell's Jun. the engraver. 1831. 8 leaves. Sixth Edition [i.e. Fries's Edition E], published upon completion of the first 100 plates and with the names of 180 subscribers. Fries, Appendix F, pp. 385-389 (not recording this copy). Rare. Fries records a total of 16 copies of all of the six editions of the prospectus to The Birds of America . We can add two more to this number: the present copy from the University of Edinburgh and a copy of edition D sold at Christie's New York, 17 November 1978, lot 77. (Additionally, Fries's no. 15 is incorrectly noted as edition D; it is edition E [sold, Christie's New York, 22 May 1981, lot 186]). Of the 18 copies, one copy each of editions A, B and F are recorded; four copies each of editions C and D; six copies of edition E; and one copy of an unidentified edition. [ with ] AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES A Synopsis of the Birds of North America. Edinburgh: H. & C. Black 1839. 8vo, [binding description]. PROVENANCE The University of Edinburgh, the original subscriber, is shown as number 9 on Audubon's final list of European subscribers published in 1839. The subscription was taken up on 7 December 1826. On that day Audubon wrote in his journal, "Received a short note from Professor Jameson desiring that I should put the University of Edinburgh [down] as a subscriber for my work. I was highly pleased with this, [it] being a powerful leader." ( The 1826 Journal of John James Audubon , ed. Alice Ford, New York 1987, p. 376). The change in the numeration of the plates from Arabic to Roman after plate 50 (see below) in conjunction with the dates of the watermarks, shows that the subscription must have lapsed in ca . 1829 and was resumed in ca . 1832 (see Fries, Appendices H and M). PUBLICATION OF The Birds of America The original plan for publication of The Birds of America was for 80 parts of five plates each