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GOULD, John (1804-1881) and Richard Bowdler SHARPE (1847-1909). The Birds of Asia. London: Taylor and Francis for the author, 1850-1883.
7 volumes, large folio (538 x 362 mm). 530 fine hand-colored lithographic plates, most heightened with gum-arabic, by Gould, Henry Constantine Richter, William Hart and Joseph Wolf, printed by Hullmandel & Walton, Walter or Walter & Cohn. Green morocco gilt extra, the sides with fillet- and floral roll-tooled borders, spines in six compartments with five raised bands, gilt-lettered in two, a repeating gilt pattern in the remaining, turn-ins gilt, glazed endleaves, all edges gilt.
FIRST EDITION OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE WORK ON ASIATIC SPECIES OF ITS TIME, containing illustrations of many birds not previously described. The intended geographical range of the work was enormous, and very much in keeping with the seemingly limitless self-belief of the 19th-century's best known ornithologist. As Sharpe writes in his excellent introduction, the work covers "Species from Palestine to the westward, and from the Moluccas to the east." Unsurprisingly, the subjects of the plates are amongst the most varied of Gould's folios including trogons, kingfishers, sunbirds, woodpeckers, partridges, parrots, pittas and pheasants. This great undertaking was originally issued in 35 original parts to 207 subscribers, and took 34 years to produce. The three final parts were completed by Sharpe after Gould's death in 1881. The descriptions by Sharpe are identified by his initials; those not bearing his initials were presumably printed from Gould's notes. William Hart completed the lithographs from Gould's sketches. Anker/Copenhagen 178; Ayer/Zimmer pp.258-9; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.102; Nissen IVB 368; Sauer 17; Wood p.365.
7 volumes, large folio (538 x 362 mm). 530 fine hand-colored lithographic plates, most heightened with gum-arabic, by Gould, Henry Constantine Richter, William Hart and Joseph Wolf, printed by Hullmandel & Walton, Walter or Walter & Cohn. Green morocco gilt extra, the sides with fillet- and floral roll-tooled borders, spines in six compartments with five raised bands, gilt-lettered in two, a repeating gilt pattern in the remaining, turn-ins gilt, glazed endleaves, all edges gilt.
FIRST EDITION OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE WORK ON ASIATIC SPECIES OF ITS TIME, containing illustrations of many birds not previously described. The intended geographical range of the work was enormous, and very much in keeping with the seemingly limitless self-belief of the 19th-century's best known ornithologist. As Sharpe writes in his excellent introduction, the work covers "Species from Palestine to the westward, and from the Moluccas to the east." Unsurprisingly, the subjects of the plates are amongst the most varied of Gould's folios including trogons, kingfishers, sunbirds, woodpeckers, partridges, parrots, pittas and pheasants. This great undertaking was originally issued in 35 original parts to 207 subscribers, and took 34 years to produce. The three final parts were completed by Sharpe after Gould's death in 1881. The descriptions by Sharpe are identified by his initials; those not bearing his initials were presumably printed from Gould's notes. William Hart completed the lithographs from Gould's sketches. Anker/Copenhagen 178; Ayer/Zimmer pp.258-9; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.102; Nissen IVB 368; Sauer 17; Wood p.365.