Zoological sketches. (First and second series, complete)

A$45,000 · Offered by Douglas Stewart Fine Books

Limited edition

Made for the Zoological society of London, from animals in their vivarium, in the Regent s park. Edited, with notes, by Philip Lutley Sclater, M.A., F.L.S., c. c., Secretary to the Society. London : Henry Graves and Company, Printsellers to Her Majesty, 1861 [actually 1856] 67. Two volumes, folio, 584 x 435 mm, drop-side clamshell boxes (a little worn and scuffed), half crushed morocco over pebbled cloth, ruled and lettered in gilt with gilt-lettered title labels, ribbon ties; pastedowns with the bookplate of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven; both volumes with hand-coloured lithographed title-page, letterpress title-page, list of subscribers, and list of plates; in total 100 fine hand-coloured lithographed plates by Joseph Smit after Joseph Wolf, all with gilt-lettered captions and single letterpress text sheet accompanying each, with most of the temporary letterpress sheets for the second series also present; occasional light foxing to the margins, overall a clean and fine set. WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THE BEST ALL-ROUND ANIMAL PAINTER THAT EVER LIVED (Sir Edwin Landseer). Zoological sketches is unequivocally one of the high points of nineteenth-century natural history illustration. The work was commissioned by the Council of the Zoological Society in 1852, to provide an accurate artistic record of the living form and expression of the many rare species of animals which exist from time to time in the menagerie . The council chose Joseph Wolf, already well-known for his

• Binding: Hardcover

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