Wilson's great ornithology, the first domestically produced color-plate ornithology

WILSON, ALEXANDER

American Ornithology; or, The Natural History of the Birds of the United States. Philadelphia: Bradford and Inskeep, 1808-1814. First editions (preface in vol. I dated September 1st, 1808). 9 volumes, uniformly bound in publisher's contemporary red half roan or sheep, marbled sides, edges yellow. 13 7/8 x 9 3/4 inches (35 x 24.5 cm); 76 hand-colored copper plate engravings by Lawson, Warnicke etc. after Wilson. Spines worn, the leather at head and foot somewhat frayed, spotting and foxing which is heavy at places to both plates and text, the plates under guards, minor flaws to text. Bookplate of Samuel H. Zahm

Alexander Wilson's work was the first great domestically published ornithology of American birds, and one of the grandest color plate publications produced in the early Republic. The quality of the engraving and coloring is on a par with the best European works of the period. Reese remarks "This was the first American work to use color plates to convey scientific information, and the first real combination of text and color illustrations produced in the United States. Nissen 992; Anker 533; Reese 3; Bennett 114.It collates as follows: Vol. I (1808): 9 hand-col. lith. plates by the author; vi + 158 pp. Vol. II (1810): 9 hand-col. lith. plates by the author; ix + 167 pp. Vol. III (1811): 9 hand-col. lith. plates by the author; xvi + 120 pp. Vol. IV (1811): 9 hand-col. lith. plates by the author; xii + 100 pp. Vol. V (1812): 9 hand-col. lith. plates by the author; xii + 122 pp. Vol. VI (1812): 9 hand-col. lith. plates by the author; xx + 102 pp. Vol. VII (1813): 9 hand-col. lith. plates by the author; xii + 132 pp. Vol. VIII (1814): 9 hand-col. lith. plates by the author; xi + 146 pp. Vol. IX (1814): 4 hand-col. lith. plates by the author; lviv + pp 61-133.
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