James Edmund Harting | Bibliotheca accipitraria, 1891, the author's annotated copy

The Property of the Downside Abbey General Trust

James Edmund Harting

Bibliotheca accipitraria. A collection of books ancient and modern relating to falconry. London: Bernard Quaritch, 1891

FIRST EDITION, HARTING’S OWN COPY, INTERLEAVED AND ANNOTATED BY HIM AND WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF CORRESPONDENCE AND EPHEMERA PASTED IN OR LOOSELY INSERTED, 8vo (232 x 155mm.), title printed in red and black with wood-engraved vignette of a falcon, contemporary morocco backed cloth, bound without illustrations (excluding frontispiece), binding rubbed, spine somewhat worn

A wonderful copy of the most important bibliography of falconry. Harting notes on the flyleaf "Author’s copy | Interleaved for additions | 15. Dec. 1891." The copy is profusely annotated by Harting, who has also pasted in illustrations, cuttings from booksellers’ catalogues, postage stamps and illustrations. There is also a great deal of correspondence loosely inserted from ornithologists (including Lord Lilford), publishers (including John Murray), nobility, diplomats, scholars and so on.

LITERATURE:

Swift 246.01 (noting this copy)

PROVENANCE:

J.E. Harting, armorial bookplate; Downside Abbey, book label