| Mark Catesby — The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands: Containing the Figures of Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Serpents, Insects, and Plants; Particularly the Forest-Trees, Shrubs, and other Plants, not hitherto Described |
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The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands: Containing the Figures of Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Serpents, Insects, and Plants; Particularly the Forest-Trees, Shrubs, and other Plants, not hitherto Described |
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2 volumes. Folio (20 x 13 6/8 inches). Title-pages printed in red and black in English and French, text in parallel columns of English and French, dedication and index leaves in both volumes, 220 hand-colored etched plates after and by Catesby, folding hand-colored engraved map in volume 2, "An Account of Carolina and the Bahama Islands" bound following plates of volume 2, etched headpiece by Catesby, historiated woodcut initials (title-page of volume one, preliminaries, and plates 1-8, and 18-25 with discreet repairs affecting the images, some minor creasing, spotting and browning, one or two marginal tears to text leaves). Contemporary French scarlet morocco, each cover finely decorated with borders of gilt and blind garland roll-tools, an inner border of gilt fillets decorated at the corners with small tools of birds chasing leaves, and snakes chasing birds, the spines gilt decorated in 8 compartments, with 7 raised bands, lettered in the second and fifth; all edges gilt and elaborately gauffered (expertly rebacked, preserving the original spines). Provenance: Bookplates of the Library Company of Baltimore, and the Maryland Historical Society on the front paste-down of each volume. "The most famous color-plate book of American plant and animal life & [and] a fundamental and original work for the study of American species" (Hunt). Second edition, revised by George Edwards, text and plates on paper with various watermarks, first 20 text leaves of volume 2 with page numerals corrected by hand, as often; "DU" on title-page corrected by hand. Catesby's preface details his two journeys to the New World and the development of his Natural History, including his decision to etch his plates himself in order to ensure both accuracy and economy. "Instead of perpetuating the previous stiff, profile manner of presentation, Catesby devised the method of mingling plants and animals in logical groupings, most often with accuracy and with proportional scale between figure and plant. He did his utmost to convey something of the particular habits or movements of each species. Simple though they are, he infused his compositions with a sense of movement and vitality not usual prior to his work" (Norelli). Anker 94; Dunthorne 72; Ellis Mengel 477; Fine Bird Books 65; Great Flower Books 53; Hunt 486 (first edition); McGill/Wood 281; Norelli, American Wildlife Painting 73; Sabin 11059. Purchased at Sotheby's June 19, 2008, lot 45. |
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