Elliot, Daniel Giraud | "the same rank as Audubon and Edward Lear as a bird-painter"

Elliot, Daniel Giraud

A Monograph of the Phasianidae, or Family of the Pheasants. New York: Published by the Author, [1870]‒1872

2 volumes, folio (595 x 465 mm). Title to each volume, 79 fine handcolored lithographed plates by Joseph Smit and J.G. Keulemans after Joseph Wolf, 2 uncolored plates of heads and feet, tissue guards; some offsetting of plates onto tissue guards, spotting heaviest to preliminary leaves, some instances of minor fingersoiling, Vol. I Plate 13 with primarily closed tear to lower margin, facing text leaf with "half" penciled out, Vol. I Plate 31 with small abrasion to sky, Vol. II Plate 29 with title lightly inked affecting four letters. Contemporary half red morocco, bound from the original parts, spines with semi-raised bands in 6 compartments second and third gilt-lettered, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt; extremities rubbed with some loss, some soiling.

First edition of this opulent work, "the equal in every way to any work by Gould" (Fine Bird Books). The text by Elliot is cited by both Zimmer and Wood as probably the finest of his monographs, while the plates by Wolf (to whom The Pheasants is dedicated) earn him "the same rank as Audubon and Edward Lear as a bird-painter" (Fine Bird Books).

A fine copy, with clean, vividly colored plates.

REFERENCE:

Anker 130; Fine Bird Books 74; Nissen IVB 295; Zimmer 206