Fine Books & Manuscripts

AUDUBON, John James (1785–1851). –– BACHMAN, John (1790–1874). The Quadrupeds of North America. New York: V. G. Audubon, 1854. Volume I with an imprint error dated “MDCCCLIVI”. 3 volumes, royal 8vo (267 x 178 mm). Half–titles in Volumes I and II (as called for), 155 HAND–COLORED LITHOGRAPHED PLATES after J. J. and J. Woodhouse Audubon by J. T. Bowen, with tissue guards (some pale spotting or browning at margins, few tiny marginal chips to plate No. 37). Original publisher’s deluxe dark brown morocco stamped in blind, raised bands, gilt titling and blind stamped devices in compartments, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Provenance: original booksellers’ ticket on pastedowns (C. S. Francis & Co., New York); contemporary dated signature on titles. 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 plates from the rare 1854 supplement of that work. The first edition was issued in 1851 as 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 that written by Bachman. IN A WELL PRESERVED AND ATTRACTIVE PUBLISHER’S DELUXE BINDING. Bennett, p. 5; Meisel, III: p. 440; Sabin 2368.