Gould, John | It's Lear

Property from the Library of John M. Schiff

Gould, John

A Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans. London: Printed by Taylor and Francis, published by the author, [1852]-1854

Folio (547 x 357 mm). 51 hand-colored lithographed plates by Gould and H.C. Richter finished with gum Arabic, 1 uncolored anatomical plate by G. Scharf; some light scattered spotting to a few plates, two plates with more moderate foxing. Full green morocco elaborately tooled gilt; edges rubbed, some sunning to covers with some light handling scratches.

The second edition of this monograph, but in essence a completely new work, just as Gould considered it. Containing new depictions of the species figured in the first edition, with the addition of illustrations and descriptions of eighteen new species such as those discovered in the Andes and West Indies.

The great watercolorist Edward Lear was also an artist in this work, his talents for depicting striking plumage on magnificent display, but he was uncredited, his name wiped from the plates.

REFERENCE:

Anker 170; Fine Bird Books, p.77; Nissen IVB 378; Sauer 19; Wood, p.365; Zimmer, p.259