Fine Books & Manuscripts

AUDUBON, John James (1785–1851). –– BACHMAN, John (1790–1874). The Quadrupeds of North America. New York: V. G. Audubon, 1854. 3 volumes, royal 8vo (267 x 178 mm). Half–titles, 150 HAND–COLORED LITHOGRAPHED PLATES after J. J. and J. Woodhouse Audubon by J. T. Bowen, with tissue guards. Later half dark green morocco over marbled boards ruled in gilt, raised bands, gilt centerpieces and titling in compartments, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers (ends rubbed at extremes, some splitting to upper joint in Vol. I, occasional foxing or offsetting to text). EARLY OCTAVO EDITION OF AUDUBON’S FINAL WORK, containing one hundred and fifty plates from the 1845–48 folio edition of The Viviparous Quadrupeds of America, and five of the plates from the rare 1854 supplement of that work. The first edition was issued in response to the success of a similar octavo edition of The Birds of America but with the declining health of John J. Audubon, only being able to sketch about half of the animals that were included in the final publication, his son took over and was able to finish the remainder of the drawings with most of the scientific detail included in the text written by Bachman. Bennett, p. 5; Reese, Stamped with a National Character 38; Sabin 2368.