Beschreibung:

EDWARDS, George (1694-1773). A Natural History of Uncommon Birds, and of some other rare and undescribed Animals, Quadrupeds, Reptiles, Fishes, Insects &c. London: for the Author, [1739]-1743-1751. 4 volumes, two parts in each volume including the French titles and text of 1745-51. Subscribers' list, general title in vol.I with engraved vignette, hand-colored etched emblematic frontispiece (vol.I), 211 etched plates comprising 210 hand-coloured plates and one engraved plate (the 'Samojeed' plate, uncolored as usual). [ Uniformly bound with ]: Gleanings of Natural History, exhibiting Figures of Quadrupeds, Birds, Insects, Plants, &c. London: for the Author, 1758-1760-1764. 3 volumes. Parallel titles and text in English and French, engraved title vignette and tail-piece, hand-colored etched emblematic frontispiece to the first volume, engraved portrait, and 152 hand-colored etched plates. Together seven volumes, 4 o (294 x 230mm). (Some text leaves spotted, occasional pale offsetting from plates onto the tissue guards.) Contemporary red straight-grained morocco, sides with gilt borders with small floral corner ornaments, spine in six compartments with five double raised bands, gilt-lettered and decorated, board edges and turn-ins gilt, edges gilt, by C. KALTHOEBER, with binder's ticket (extremities rubbed, the binder has misnumbered the Gleanings vols. V [II], VI [III], and VII [I]). Provenance: The Duke of Marlborough. A FINE SET IN A SUMPTUOUS BINDING OF ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY NATURAL HISTORY WORKS. The works are now considered as one. "At its date of issue, the Natural History and Gleanings was one of the most important of all Bird Books, both as a fine bird book and as a work of ornithology. It is still high on each list." ( Fine Bird Books .) The present work has yet to be fully described bibliographically. A large number of possible variants exist, but what is certain is that it was hugely successful and went through a number of transformations whilst under Edwards' control, including the issuing of French text. Shortly after he retired in 1769 he sold "to Mr. James Robson, Bookseller...all the remaining copies of my Natural History...coloured under my immediate inspection, together with all my copper-plates, letter-press, and every article in my possession relative to it...and that my labours may be handed down to posterity with integrity, truth and exactness, I have delivered into his hands a complete set of plates, highly coloured by myself, as a standard to those Artists who may be employed in colouring them for the future" (George Edwards declaration quoted in Robson's Some Memoirs...of George Edwards , dated May 1st, 1769). Robson continued to issue sets, again with various changes, and a final edition appeared in 1802-1806, published by W. Gardiner and Messrs. Robinson. "George Edwards was born at Stratford, Essex, and received his early education at a public school at Leytonstone, later being apprenticed to a tradesman in...London. Having access to a large library of scientific books Edwards studied these assiduously and, having made up his mind not to enter business, decided to travel abroad. Between 1716 and 1733 he visited many foreign countries but in December of the latter year settled down in London and, through the influence of Sir Hans Sloane, was chosen Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians...Almost immediately after he was appointed...Edwards commenced the preparation of a series of coloured drawings of animals and birds, used later to illustrate [the present work]; for these he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Society and subsequently elected a fellow." (Lisney p.127) He retired about 1764 to Plaistow, died July 23, 1773, and was buried at West Ham." (Mullens and Swann p.194). Anker 124-126; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.93; Lisney pp.128-144; Mullens & Swann p.195; Nissen IVB 286-288; Zimmer pp.192-198. (7)