A History of British Birds [6 Volumes]

Rev. Francis Orpen Morris, A History of British Birds, London: Groombridge and Sons, 1868, 6 Volumes

Volume I: iv + 364 pages including a colour frontispiece engraving and 59 colour engravings
Volume II: iv + 360 pages including a colour frontispiece engraving and 59 colour engravings
Volume III: iv + 391 pages including a colour frontispiece engraving and 59 colour engravings
Volume IV: iv + 330 pages including a colour frontispiece engraving and 62 colour engravings
Volume V: iv + 315 pages including a colour frontispiece engraving and 57 colour engravings
Volume VI: iv + 290 pages including a colour frontispiece engraving and 59 colour engravings

Original green cloth with elaborate gilt decoration to spine and gilt vignettes on upper cover, rebacked spine with gilt text and 4 raised bands (each)
10.25 x 6.5 in (26 x 16 cm) (each)

An immense history and study of British ornithology and natural history, a detailed work that has become a standard reference on the subject with 358 fine, hand-coloured plates by Benjamin Fawcett, the most accomplished woodblock colour printer of the nineteenth century. Rev. Francis Orpen Morris (1810-1893) was a prolific writer, a parson-naturalist and pioneer for the movement to protect birds, with A History of British Birds being considered his magnum opus.

Originally issued in monthly parts from June 1850 over seven years, this work was published by Groombridge and Sons of London and printed by noted engraver Benjamin Fawcett. The initial concept was developed by Fawcett, and he asked Morris to write the text. Fawcett personally engraved the wood-block plates for each illustration. The work was financially successful and extremely popular, being reissued several times and going through multiple editions. It was particularly well received by amateur ornithologists and taxidermists. This copy is a first edition, first impression, with each illustration having a beige-colored background and a plate number below each bird's name.

NON-EXPORTABLE

This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as reference for the condition of each book.