Firsts, London’s Rare Book Fair 2022
38 items found
Russell, P.
An account of Indian serpents collected in the coast of Coromandel; containing descriptions and drawings of each species; together with experiments and remarks on their several poisons. [WITH] A continuation of an account of Indian serpents containing descriptions and figures from specimens and drawings transmitted from various parts of India. [Complete].
London, George Nicol, 1796-1801. Two volumes in one. Elephant folio (51.5 x 35.3 cm) (Board size 52.5 x 37.0 cm). Volume I (1796): 91 pp.; Volume II (1801): v, 45, [iv] pp.; Appendix I-III [1804-1809]: pp. 47-53, [iv]; and 91 [46; 42; 3] finely engraved and mostly hand-coloured plates on 87 sheets (first plate 31 and 46, and three Appendix plates intentionally uncoloured). Contemporary blind-tooled half calf over marbled boards. Spine with rich gilt bands and morocco label with gilt title.
Read moreDeyrolle, T.
Illustrations zoologiques.
Paris, E. Deyrolle, 1874. Oblong folio (26.8 x 36.8 cm). 50 chromolithographed ("chromographie") plates, finished by hand. Contemporary green morocco over green marbled boards. Spine with five raised, gilt-lined bands and title. Marbled endpapers.
Read moreSmith, A.
Illustrations of the zoology of South Africa; consisting chiefly of figures and descriptions of the objects of natural history collected during an expedition into the interior of South Africa, in the years 1834, 1835, and 1836; fitted out by "The Cape of Good Hope Association for Exploring Central Africa". Published under the authority of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury. Mammalia. Aves. Reptilia. Pisces. Invertebratae. [Complete].
London, Smith, Elder and Co., [1838]-1849. Five volumes in five. Large 4to (31.6 x 26.6 cm). Reptilia: (ii [index], 28 [appendix] pp., errata leaf; 78 plates (75 plates hand-coloured, plates 30, 42, and 48 plain as intended); Mammalia: vii pp. (including index); 52 plates (numbered I-XVII, XIX-XXXVI, XXXVIII-LIII, VIIIbis); 48 hand-coloured, four (8bis, 15, 21, 25, plain, as intended); plates 18 and 37 not published - see Mammalia index list); Pisces: [i] p. (index); 31 hand-coloured plates; Aves: [ii] pp.; 114 hand-coloured plates; Invertebratae: [ii], 75 pp.; four hand-coloured plates, making a total of 279 plates (272 hand-coloured) most by and after George H. Ford, and all with descriptive text on unnumbered leaves. Uniform publisher's green blind-stamped cloth with floral pattern on the boards and gilt title on the spines. Brown endpapers.
Read moreBorkhausen, M. B. [Susemihl, J. C.]
Teutsche Ornithologie oder Naturgeschichte aller Vögel Teutschlands in naturgetreuden Abbildungen und Beschreibungen.
Darmstadt, 1800-1817-1841. In two parts. Folio (46.3 x 31.3 cm). 132 [67; 65] colour-printed plates, in careful, original hand-colouring, with accompanying descriptive text leaves in German, and, often, also in French. Uniform polished half calf over floral-patterned, embossed boards.
Read moreBennett, J. W.
A selection from the most remarkable and interesting of the fishes found on the coast of Ceylon. From drawings made in the southern part of that island from the living specimens.
London, Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, [1828-] 1830. 4to (31.2 x 24.6 cm). With 30 splendidly hand-coloured engraved plates, all heightened with gum arabic, each with a descriptive leaf of text [AND] one extra original water-colour. Contemporary green ruled half calf over marbled boards; spine with gilt ornaments and title. Yellow endpapers. Top edge gilt. Preserved in a custom-made black cloth, luxurious, clamshell box with built-in cradle and black label with gilt title on the spine.
Read moreSagra, R. de la
Album d'oiseaux de Cuba réunis pendant le voyage de M. Ramon De La Sagra. Dédié à S. M. la Reine Isabelle II. Album de Aves Cubanas, reunidas durante el viage de D. Ramon De La Sagra. Dedicado a S. M. Doña Isabel II.
Paris, Maulde et/y Renou, 1842-1843. Folio (38.8 x 26.6 cm). French half-title, title page (dated 1843) with engraved vignette, pp. 5-16; idem in Spanish (title dated 1842), pp. 5-15. 33 fine hand-coloured engraved plates (I-XXXII, XIXbis). Twentieth-century half calf over cloth boards, five raised bands, gilt ornaments and title on spine.
Read moreSchlegel, H.
Abbildungen neuer oder unvollständig bekannter Amphibien, nach der natur oder dem Leben entworfen, herausgegeben und mit einem erläuterenden Texte begleitet. [Atlas].
Düsseldorf, Arnz & Co., 1837-1844. Folio (36.5 x 27.1 cm). Engraved title page; 50 finely lithographed plates of which 49 beautifully hand-coloured and (often) heightened with gum arabic, and one plain, as intended. Contemporary style full blue calf. Spine with five raised, gilt-ornamented bands; compartments with gilt floral vignettes and title. Boards with triple-gilt borders, floral corner pieces, gilt dentelles. Marbled endpapers. All edges gilt.
Read moreDresser, H. E.
A monograph of the Coraciidae or family of the rollers.
Farnborough, the author, 1893. Folio (37.6 x 28.3 cm). Title page with woodcut vignette (owl) and quote in Greek; xx, 111; 27 lithographed plates, all in a most careful and beautiful original hand-colouring. Contemporary full red pebbled morocco. Spine with five raised, gilt-stippled bands; compartments with central gilt vignettes and title. Boards with intricate gilt floral borders and woodcut vignette (an owl - as on the title page), bevelled edges, gilt inner dentelles. Marbled endpapers. Top edge gilt.
Read moreSwagers, E.
Collection complète des oiseaux d'Europe, dessinés et coloriés d'après nature.
Amiens, [the author, 1833]. Folio (30.7 x 23.0 cm). 11 unnumbered printed text sheets; 87 (of 88) lithographed plates in fine, original hand-colouring. Original printed wrappers. Preserved in brown cloth clambox (32.5 x 25.3 x 3.6 cm). "Spine" with red morocco label with gilt title.
Read moreSclater, P. L.
A monograph of the jacamars and puff-birds, or families Galbulidae and Bucconidae.
London, the author, 1879-1882. Folio (32.3 x 25.5 cm). lii, [i], 171 pp.; 55 lithographed and finely hand-coloured plates, 13 groups of steel engravings in the text, showing taxonomically important parts, including heads, bills, etc. Contemporary red half morocco over gilt-bordered, red pebbled cloth. Spine with five raised, gilt-stippled bands. Compartments with gilt floral vignettes, title and date. Marbled endpapers. Top edge gilt. Original printed [and dated] wrappers, of all seven instalments, bound in rear.
Read moreDaudin, F. [M.]
Histoire naturelle des rainettes, des grenouilles et des crapauds.
Paris, Levrault, An XI (1802). 4to (28.7 x 22.2 cm). 108 pp.; 38 finely hand-coloured engraved plates. Early 19th-century polished, gilt-bordered half calf over marbled boards. Spine with five raised, gilt-ornamented bands; compartments with gilt vignettes, and with black morocco label with gilt title. Marbled endpapers.
Read moreDelarue, [J.]
Musée des Lépidoptères. Collection de papillons de toutes les parties du monde.
Paris, Arnauld de Vresse, [ca. 1840]. Folio (42.0 x 30.1 cm). Gilt-lettered title page; 12 chromolithographed plates with captions, finished by hand, some heightened with silver and gum arabic. Original green cloth with large gilt-embossed decoration and title to front panel and blind-tooled borders.
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