Skip to main content

This auction has ended. View lot details

You may also be interested in

Own a similar item?

Submit your item online for a free auction estimate.

Lot 209

BEWICK (THOMAS)
British Land Birds; British Water Birds; The Figures of Bewick's Quadrupeds, 3 works, Newcastle, Edward Walker, 1825-1825-1824 (3)

25 March 2015, 11:00 GMT
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £3,125 inc. premium

Own a similar item?

Submit your item online for a free auction estimate.

How to sell

Looking for a similar item?

Our Books & Manuscripts specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.

Find your local specialist

Ask about this lot

BEWICK (THOMAS)

British Land Birds; British Water Birds; The Figures of Bewick's Quadrupeds, 3 works, the last mentioned the second edition, letterpress titles with wood-engraved vignettes, 542 wood-engraved plates (several of the water birds and foreign birds bound at the end of the quadrupeds, a few of these with "W. 1821" watermarks), each image captioned below in ink or pencil, quadrupeds with title irregularly trimmed at head, uniform contemporary straight-grained green morocco, occasional minor scuffs [Roscoe 43, 44 and 12; Tattersfield TB1.27, 1.11], 4to (270 x 200mm.), Newcastle, Edward Walker, 1825-1825-1824 (3)

Footnotes

"I last summer printed 100 Sets 4to of Birds & Quadrupeds, without Type for the sole use of Artists (& when interleaved) of Naturalists" (letter from Bewick to Dovaston, 26 November 1825). Bewick had earlier remarked that "the impression of the Cuts printed in this way are invariably softer & clearer" (letter of 1822 to John Rodford). "This edition is bedevilled by inconsistencies over the number of leaves" according to Tatterfield. However, he calls for a minimum of 538 plates: 224 in Quadrupeds and 157 in each of the Birds.

Provenance: "Miss Serjeants", faint pencil ownership inscription on title of Quadrupeds.

Additional information

Bid now on these items