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Lot 55•
WILSON (ALEXANDER) American Ornithology; or the Natural History of the Birds of the United States, FIRST EDITION, Philadelphia, 1808-1814
20 November 2024, 13:00 GMT
London, Knightsbridge£4,000 - £5,000
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WILSON (ALEXANDER)
American Ornithology; or the Natural History of the Birds of the United States, 9 vol., FIRST EDITION, 76 hand-coloured engraved plates by Alexander Lawson, George Murray, John Warnicke, and Benjamin Tanner after Wilson, list of subscribers, tissue guards (except volume 2), spotting and browning (heavy in all but vol. 4, 8 and 9), off-setting from plates to facing text, contemporary half red morocco over marbled boards, gilt lettering and numerals on spines, rubbed, a few scuff marks [Nissen IVB 992; Fine Bird Books, p.114; Anker 533; Wood, p.630; Zimmer, p.679], large 4to (350 x 260mm.), Philadelphia, Bradford and Inskeep, 1808-1814
Footnotes
First edition of the "first American bird book with coloured plates published in America" (Fine Bird Books), the plates representing 26 species of birds. Alexander Wilson (1766-1813), the so-called "father of American ornithology", after whom five American birds are named in his honour.
Provenance: Alexander Speirs Esq., of Elderslie, bookplate, except vol. 4, Houston House, Renfrewshire, bookplate.

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