EDWARDS, George. A Natural History of Birds. [Avec:] Gleanings of Natural History, exhibiting figures of Quadrupeds, Birds, Insect, Plants, &c.

Superbe exemplaire de la seconde édition de ce magnifique ouvrage d’ornithologie.

Fine Bird Books, p. 74 ; Nissen IVB 286 et 288 ; Zimmer pp. 201-203 ; Anker 124-126; Lisney, p. 128.

L’illustration superbe se compose de 362 planches à pleine page représentant des oiseaux d’espèces variées, 210 pour A Natural History of Birds et 152 pour Gleanings.

Elles ont toutes été finement coloriées à la main à l’époque.

« George Edwards (1694-1773) was born at Stratford, Essex, and received his early education at a public school at Leytonstone, later being apprenticed to a tradesman in … London. Having access to a large library of scientific books Edwards studied these assiduously and, having made up his mind not to enter business, decided to travel abroad. Between 1716 and 1733 he visited many foreign countries but in December of the latter year settled down in London and, through the influence of Sir Hans Sloane, was chosen Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians… Almost immediately after he was appointed … Edwards commenced the preparation of a series of coloured drawings of animals and birds, used later to illustrate [the present work]; for these he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Society and subsequently elected a fellow” (Lisney, p. 127).

“At its date of issue the ‚Natural History‘ and ‚Gleanings‘ was one of the most important of all Bird Books, both as a fine bird book and as a work of ornithology. It is still high on each list”. (Fine Bird Books).

Gleanings qui occupe les tomes 5 à 7 possède des feuillets de titre en français et en anglais ainsi qu’un texte sur deux colonnes en anglais et en français.

Précieux exemplaire de ce magnifique ouvrage abondamment illustré de gravures d’oiseaux coloriées à l’époque.