William Lewin | The Birds of Great Britain, 1796-1801, 8 volumes in 4

William Lewin

The birds of Great Britain. London: J. Johnson, 1796-1801, 8 volumes in 4

Mixed edition, volume 1 dated 1800, volumes 2-8 second edition, 8 volumes in 4, 4to (307 x 232mm.), text in English and French, 278 hand-coloured etched plates of birds and 58 hand-coloured plates of eggs, later green half morocco, spines gilt, leaves uncut, marbled endpapers, a few small marginal tears (not affecting images), volume 5 upper hinge splitting, spines faded to brown, extremities rubbed

LITERATURE:

Anker 306; Fine Bird Books, p. 91; McGill/Wood, p. 435; Nissen IVB 563; Zimmer, p. 395

PROVENANCE:

John Edmund Davis (1861-1939) and Mary Davis, Chilham Castle, bookplate; Davis made his fortune in mining in South Africa, and bequeathed collections to the Musée de Luxembourg and the National Gallery of South Africa