British Ornithology

Complete set with 144 fine bird plates drawn, engraved and hand-coloured mostly by George Graves, (A few plates after Samuel Howitt and Sydenham Edwards, and engraved by Weddell and Warner.)

A nice set of this study of British birds, with many songbirds, game birds, owls and hawks, divers, waders, and sea birds.

Second edition of first two volumes (originally published in parts from 1811 and 1821), but first edition of the complete set (the third volume first appearing in 1821).

With the title typo: British Ornithology, Being the History, with a Coloured Representation, of Every Kown [sic] Species of British Birds.

George Graves (1784-1839), FLS, was an English publisher, artist, engraver and colourist who worked on botanical and ornithological works. Apart from British Birds (1811-1821), he also wrote and illustrated Ovarium Britannicum (1816), The Naturalist's Pocket Book (1817), and A Monograph on British Grasses (1822). From 1817, he oversaw the hand-colouring and publishing with William Jackson Hooker of Curtis' Flora Londinensis (1817-1828), bankrupting himself in the process.

Bound in green morocco with five raised bands, gilt tooling on the spines, red leather title and volume labels.

Bookplate of Henry Francis Makins, 1841-1914, younger brother of Sir William Thomas Makins, 1st Baronet.

Some slight scuffing to the bindings, light spotting to a few text pages and plates. Front board attached by threads only on Vol. 2. Overall, very good with good etching impressions and delicate hand-colour that look more like water-colours.