BURROUGHS, John; MUIR, John; GRINNELL, George Bird

Harriman Alaska Expedition with Cooperation of Washington Academy of Sciences. Alaska

New York, Doubleday, Page & Company, 1901. First American Edition. Hardcover. Two volumes in publisher's decorated green cloth with the scarce gilt-lettered green cloth dustwrappers. The first volume covers Narrative Glaciers, and Natives; the second History, Geography, and Resources with contributions by William H. Dall, Charles Keller, Henry Gannett, William H. Brewer, C. Hart Merriam, and M. L. Washburn. Beautifully illustrated with 85 photogravures 45 of them from photographs by Edward S. Curtis), 39 chromolithograph plates after paintings by expedition artists, including Louis Agassiz Fuertes, and 3 maps in color (1 folding), in addition to numerous illustrations throughout the text. The 1899 expedition was funded by wealthy railroad baron Edward Harriman and included some of the most famous scientists, authors, and artists of the time launching the career of Edward Curtis and connecting him with Grinnell which would ultimately result in his massive work on photographing Native American tribes. Thirteen volumes about the expedition would ultimately be published, but these first two volumes, published separately, are the only two that recount the expedition; all others were scientific reports. Ill.: Edward Curtis. Fine, bright copies in Near Fine, complete dustwrappers and quite scarce in this condition .

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 021424

Catalogue: Natural History

Keywords: 19th Century American Literature, Edward Curtis, Natural History, John Burroughs, Science, Early Dustwrappers, Nature Writers, John Muir Edward Curtis Early Dustwrappers Literature: American 19th Century American Literature Nature Writing

JONSTON, Johannes

Historiae Naturalis de Quadrupedibus. [Bound with] de Piscibus Et Cetis. [Bound with] de Exanguibus Aquaticis. [Bound with] de Avibus. [Bound with] de Insectis. [Bound with] de Serpentibus

Amsterdam, J. J. Schipper, 1657 & 1665. Second Edition. Hardcover. Folio (9-1/2" x 15") masterfully bound in recent full vellum lettered in brown on the spine with new endpapers. Six parts in one, four with an engraved title page and two with woodcut title vignettes: DE QUADRUPEDIBUS (1657), [3]-6, [2], 163, [1] pages; DE PISCIBUS ET CETIS (1657), [1]-5, [3], 160 pages; DE EXANGUIBUS AQUATICIS (1665), 58, [2] pages; DE AVIBUS (1657), [12], 160 pages; DE INSECTIS (1657), [8], 147, [1] pages; DE SERPENTIBUS (1665), 37, [1] pages. Jonston's complete and comprehensive compilation of the animal kingdom lavishly illustrated with hundreds of engraved figures, many fanciful or imaginary, many the work of the great German artist Matthew Merian. This copy with 243 of 250 plates (249 called for), most with several figures each, including 79 of 80 in the Quadrupedibus section (lacking plate 49); 48 of 47 in the Piscibus et cetis section (includes one plate not recorded in Nissen: plate 48 with images of a narwhal, containing details of its skull and horn); 19 of 20 in the Exanguibus aquaticis section (lacking plate 3); 57 of 62 in the Avibus section (lacking plates 11, 13, 29, 30, and 34); 28 of 28 in the Insectis section; and 12 of 12 in the Serpentibus et Draconibus section. Anker 235; Graesse III, 477; Nissen ZBI 2131, 2133, 2134; 2132, and 2135; Wood, page 409. An important and wonderfully illustrated work on natural history with great influence well into the 18th century. A book that usually suffered from much use, this copy is certainly above the average normally encountered. One plate bound upside down; small tape stains on a handful of plates; one plate with a neatly repaired tear; another plate with slight loss of image. Generally clean and crisp, handsomely bound. Near Fine Jonston was a physician of Scottish decent, born on the Continent, where he spent the better part of his life. Jonston practiced other occupations in addition to being a physician, and in 1650 he published the first version of his zoology. Jonston is now seen chiefly as a "learned compiler" and his sources for the present work were wide ranging, but probably the main influence was Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605). In addition to the technical merits of this book, Jonston also had a good imagination, as some of the creatures illustrated never existed: hippos with strange features, dragons, unicorns, griffons, and animals with human faces.

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 016969

Catalogue: Natural History

Keywords: 17th Century, Early Printed Books, Natural History, Illustrated Books, Dragons, Birds, Ornithology Illustrated Books 17th Century Dragons Ornithology

RONDELET, Guillaume [RONDELETIUS, Gulielmus]

Libri de Piscibus Marinis, in Quibus Verae Piscium Effigies Expressae Sunt Quae in Tota Piscium Historia Contineantur, Indicat Elenchus Pagina Nona Et Decima. Postremo Accesserunt Indices Necessarij

Lyons, Matthiam Bonhomme, 1554/1555. First Edition. Hardcover. Folio (8" x 13") bound in recent full calf with five raised bands, gilt-lettered spine label, and some blind tooling. Two parts in one volume: (16), 583, (25); (12), 242, (10) pages. Titles with woodcut device, each part with privilege leaf and woodcut portrait of the author, woodcut initials, ornaments and over 400 woodcut illustrations of fish and other forms of aquatic life throughout. Adams R 746 & 757; Casey Wood, 541: "this famous grandfather of modern ichthyology"; Garrison-Morton 282; Nissen 3474; Norman 1848: "The work is especially valuable for its accurate treatment of Mediterranean species, and for providing what are apparently the first zoological accounts of the manatee and the sperm whale." The most important treatise on aquatic animals and fish published up that time. Based largely on classical authorities, in particular Aristotle, it also includes results of the author's own observations through experiments and anatomical investigations. It remained the standard reference work in ichthyology for over a century. Woodcut of fish on page 238 of first part pasted over with another woodcut, Y4 in first part and g2 & n3 in second all slightly defective at fore-edge (repaired with loss of a few letters, some supplied in manuscript), H1 of second part defective at foot (no loss) and H6 (final leaf) stained at edges and defective (no loss, laid down), small ink monogram stamped on verso of first title, very light water-staining to upper half, otherwise very clean. A Near Fine copy of this scarce title with wonderful woodcuts .

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 013155

Catalogue: Natural History

Keywords: Early Printing, Rare, Ichthyology, Early Printed, Latin Fish Early Printed Books 16th Century Illustrated Books

SHAW, George

General Zoology or Systematic Natural History

London, G. Kearsley/Thomas Davison, 1800-1826. Hardcover. Twelve (of fourteen) volumes bound in eighteen volumes comprising twenty-two parts and including index, bound in recent 3/4 polished calf leather and marbled boards with blind rules, gilt-lettered and decorated spines, and gilt-lettered brown morocco spine labels. Illustrated with engraved title pages and 1048 plates. Includes 233 plates of mammals in 14 parts in 4 volumes; 140 plates of amphibians in 2 parts in 2 volumes; 190 plates of fish in 4 parts in 4 volumes; 139 plates of insects in 2 parts in 2 volumes; and 346 plates of birds in 10 parts in 5 volumes. Minor foxing to the plates with many tissue guards still in place, text generally clean. Near Fine in a Fine, attractive binding .

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 013438

Catalogue: Natural History

Keywords: Mammals, Insects, Amphibians, Fine Bindings, Fish Fine Bindings Birds Wood Engravings Illustrated Books