George Edwards | A Natural History of Uncommon Birds, London, 1743-64, 7 vols, contemporary calf rebacked

Books from a Private Collection

George Edwards

A Natural History of Uncommon Birds, and of some other Rare and Undescribed Animals... Exhibited in Three Hundred and Sixty-Two Copper Plates. London: printed for the author at the college of physicians, 1743-1764

7 volumes, 4to (296 x 233mm.), hand-coloured engraved frontispiece, 362 hand-coloured engraved plates, plain plate of a Samoyed in vol.2, contemporary calf rebacked, boards tooled in gilt with animal motif, marbled edges, marbled endpapers, some light spotting

Despite his humble East London roots, George Edwards (1694-1773) rose to become keeper of the library of the Royal College of Physicians and an ornithologist of international renown. Many of the birds he records had never been previously illustrated, contributing, along with its length to the importance of this impressive work.

LITERATURE

Anker 124; Fine Bird Books, p. 93; McGill/Wood, p. 329; Nissen IVB 286-288; Zimmer, pp. 192-194 and 198-199

PROVENANCE

Bigland family, of Bigland Hall, Lancs.: armorial bookplate with "A.B." monogram