THE BIRDS OF AMERICA, FROM DRAWINGS MADE IN THE UNITED STATES AND THEIR TERRITORIES
New York: V. G. Audubon/Roe Lockwood & Son, 1860. Fourth Octavo Edition. Hardcover. Seven royal octavo volumes (6-3/4" x 10-3/8") uniformly bound in full publisher's blind-stamped brown morocco leather and illustrated with 500 hand-colored lithographed plates with tissue guards. This edition differs most from the original edition in the plates, with tinted backgrounds slightly altered and tint added to plain backgrounds. The text also had been reset from the seven volumes of the first octavo edition down to five volumes meant to accompany the 1860 folio edition being prepared by Julius Bien. Financial backing for the project wavered at the onset of the Civil War, and production on the folio edition halted after the completion of only 150 plates. As a result, very few sets in seven volumes with all 500 octavo plates were assembled. Owner's 1876 name on front blanks. Text with moderate to occasionally severe foxing. The plates, with all tissue guards intact, are generally clean, though all are evenly toned. The upper half of the front cover of the first volume is slightly darkened and warped from dampstaining as is the rear cover of the second volume with one plate stained with slight damage to the coloring and a few others slightly stained. A Very Good, attractive set with lovely hand-colored plates. Item #022484
ANKER 19; AYER/ZIMMER, page 23; Nissen, IVB 50.
Price: $20,000.00