MEYER, Henry Leonard (1797-1865). Illustrations of British Birds . London: Longman & Co. [n.d. but 1835-1841]. 4 volumes bound in 2, 4° (368 x 265mm). Lithographic title and list of plates to each volume, 313 hand-coloured lithographic plates of birds by and after Meyer, assisted by Mary Ann Moor Meyer. (Varying amounts of light spotting to some plates.) Dark green morocco gilt by Clarke & Bedford, marbled endpapers, gilt edges (some spotting to covers). FIRST EDITION OF 'ONE OF OUR MOST VALUABLE ILLUSTRATED WORKS ON ORNITHOLOGY' (Mullens and Swann). An artist and naturalist of Dutch origin, Meyer made ornithological drawings from nature and from his own collection of birds kept in order to 'represent the Birds as much as possible in their natural attitudes'. Each plate shows a bird accompanied by its egg, its nest 'when curious or rare' and the female 'whenever her plumage differs materially from that of the male'; some have accompanying descriptions. Meyer's wife, Mary Anne Moor, herself an accomplished artist, assisted in engraving the plates and may even have been responsible for some of the original drawings. Meyer later issued a second octavo edition which was intended to illustrate William Yarrell's History of British Birds . Fine Bird Books , p.123; Mullens and Swann, p.398. (2)
MEYER, Henry Leonard (1797-1865). Illustrations of British Birds . London: Longman & Co. [n.d. but 1835-1841]. 4 volumes bound in 2, 4° (368 x 265mm). Lithographic title and list of plates to each volume, 313 hand-coloured lithographic plates of birds by and after Meyer, assisted by Mary Ann Moor Meyer. (Varying amounts of light spotting to some plates.) Dark green morocco gilt by Clarke & Bedford, marbled endpapers, gilt edges (some spotting to covers). FIRST EDITION OF 'ONE OF OUR MOST VALUABLE ILLUSTRATED WORKS ON ORNITHOLOGY' (Mullens and Swann). An artist and naturalist of Dutch origin, Meyer made ornithological drawings from nature and from his own collection of birds kept in order to 'represent the Birds as much as possible in their natural attitudes'. Each plate shows a bird accompanied by its egg, its nest 'when curious or rare' and the female 'whenever her plumage differs materially from that of the male'; some have accompanying descriptions. Meyer's wife, Mary Anne Moor, herself an accomplished artist, assisted in engraving the plates and may even have been responsible for some of the original drawings. Meyer later issued a second octavo edition which was intended to illustrate William Yarrell's History of British Birds . Fine Bird Books , p.123; Mullens and Swann, p.398. (2)
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
