John Gould and Richard Bowdler Sharpe | The birds of New Guinea, 1875-1888, 5 volumes, contemporary green half morocco

John Gould and Richard Bowdler Sharpe

The birds of New Guinea and the adjacent Papuan islands, including many species recently discovered in Australia. London: Henry Sotheran & co, 1875-1888

5 volumes, folio (454 x 354mm.), 320 hand-coloured lithographed plates mostly after William Matthew Hart, contemporary green half morocco

GOULD'S FINAL MAJOR PUBLICATION.

This work contains the most significant contribution of Sharpe, as he took over the project following Gould's death in 1881. The work contains exquisitely coloured depictions of birds of paradise and parrots, as well as species newly discovered in Australia, making the work a further supplement to his significant corpus of Australian ornithology. Gould completed the first 12 parts, and Sharpe completed the last 13. Hart, the American artist that had worked for Gould for over 30 years, was employed for this work and the plates exhibit his signature vibrant colour schemes.

For more information about Gould, please refer to Lot 88.

LITERATURE:

Anker 181; Fine Bird Books, p. 78; Nissen IVB 373; Sauer 27; Zimmer, pp. 262-263