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430000 SEK

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60 000-70 000 SEK

Beskrivning

FAMOUS MINERALOGICAL WORKS BY SOWERBY (7). SOWERBY, (JAMES). British Mineralogy: Or, Coloured Figures Intended to Elucidate the Mineralogy of Great Britain. I-V. London (R. Taylor & Co. - Arding & Merrett) sold by the Author, 1804-17. TOGETHER WITH THE SUPPLEMENT: Exotic mineralogy or coloured figures of foreign minerals, as a supplement to British Mineralogy. London (Benjamin Meredith - Arding & Merrett), sold by the Author, 1811-17, (1820, 1835).

Large 8vo (235x140 mm.). 550 hand-coloured engraved plates, some heightened in gum arabic, in British Mineralogy and 168 hand-coloured engraved plates [1 uncoloured], some heightened in gum arabic, in Exotic Mineralogy, some folding (complete, partly spotting or foxing together with off-setting to text, more foxing to text and plates in vol. IV, tear to margin on two pages in vol. V, repair to margin on one page in vol. IV, some occasional notes in pencil in Exotic Mineralogy).
Later 19th century brown half calf bindings, partly slightly rubbed and worn, some spotting, gilt spines with gilt titles, gilt edges (Clarke & Bedford). Label from Henry Sotheran & Co., Booksellers London. Bookplate Henry & Anne Rebecca Collins (foxed). Exotic Mineralogy with a handwritten note dated 1841 bound in at the beginning. Together with 1 loose fascicule (No. 24) with text and 6 plates and printed wrappers, all loose.
7 volumes and 1 loose fascicule.

Collation:
BRITISH MINERALOGY: I. xii, 223, (1) pp. 100 plates, II. (2), 19, (1 blank), 199, (1) pp. 100 plates., III. (2), 209, (1) pp. 100 plates, IV. (4), 184 pp. 100 plates, V. vi, 281, (1 blank, 24 [Indexes]) pp. 150 plates. Last volume lacking 2 pages advertisments and 8 pages corrected text for two plates in vol. IV.
EXOTIC MINERALOGY: I. (2, 3), iv, 195 pp. 99 plates, II. (3, 1 blank, 1 [Advertisment dated 1835]), 5-160 pp. 69 plates. (Index from pp. 153-60.) Plates numbered 1-72,74-168. Plate 73 not published.
Together with 1 loose fascicule in original printed wrappers (No. 24 of Exotic Mineralogy,) with text and 6 plates (no 141-146). Loose and with damaged wrapper.

First editions.
Sowerby´s first published works on mineralogy, noted for the magnificently coloured plates drawn from actual specimens retained in the author´s own collection or borrowed from other prominent collectors. They were originally issued in parts and sold like magazines by subscription. The hand-colouring of the plates was made by himself and/or his two sons. All specimens are depicted in their actual sizes on blank backgrounds. Both works became highly influential sources of information at a time when the study of geology and mineralogy was becoming extremely fashionable.
James Sowerby (1757-1822), English naturalist, illustrator and mineralogist.

Provenance: The consigners´ family is related to James Sowerby (1757-1822) through their great grandmother, who was the daughter Charlotte Ann Sowerby (Lottie), later married Bryant. The family´s grandmother later bought this work in London in the 1920´s.

Auktionsnummer:

6189

Datum:

2019-06-14