American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States : illustrated with plates engraved and coloured from original drawings taken from nature / by Alexander Wilson ; with a sketch of the author's life by George Ord ; in three volumes
3 v. : ill. ; 24 cm. + 1 atlas ([2] p., 76 leaves of plates : col. ill. ; 39 cm.)
Type:
Electronic resources
Place:
United States
North America
Date:
1828
1829
1828-1829
Notes:
Vols. 1-2 published in 1828, v. 3 and atlas in 1829.
Atlas has title: American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States : plates engraved and coloured from original drawings taken from nature / by Alexander Wilson. Statement of responsibility precedes the word "Plates."
"The first new edition of Wilson's entire work (1808-14 ...), arranged in the systematic sequence of the species, not in the irregular order of the original"--Ayer Library, v.2, p. 681.
Vol. 1: cxcix, [1], 230, [2] p.; v. 2: vi, [9]-456 p.; v. 3: vi, 396 p.
"The hand-colored drawings in the Atlas are from the original copper-plates ..."--Ayer Lib., p. 682.
"The original plates, engraved under the eye of Wilson, are employed in this edition, after having been carefully examined and retouched by Mr. Alexander Lawson, by whom most of them were executed"--Editor's preface to v. 1, p. vi.
"Sketch of the author's life," by George Ord: v. 1, p. [ix]-cxcix.
Zimmer, J.T. Ayer Library, p. 681-682
Nissen, C. Die illustrierten Vogelbücher, no. 992
Also available online.
SCNHRB has two copies; c. 2 incomplete, lacking the atlas of plates.
SCNHRB c. 1 (39088016462202, -2244, -2285, -2327) has bookplate: Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Gift of Marcia Brady Tucker. Wtih the pencilled Tucker collational notes.
SCNHRB c. 1 three-quarters bound in modern light brown leather and cloth boards, titles and vignettes of birds stamped in gilt on spine, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers.
SCNHRB c. 2 (39088016462368, -2400, -2442) three-quarters bound in modern dark brown leather and cloth boards, titles and vignettes of birds stamped in gilt on spine, top edge gilt
