Lot 12855: Cassin - 8 Bird Lithograph

Included in this lot:

The Brown Hawk. 31
The Black-headed Oriole. 21
The Gray Petrel. 46
The White Avocet. 40
The Black-footed Albatross. 35
The Black Flycatcher. 29
Baird's Buzzard. 41
The Blac-headed Vireo. 240

Description:

This hand-colored lithograph is from John Cassin's scarce work Illustrations of the birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America. The work was published in 1856. It is believed only 100 of these are in existence today.

It was intended as a supplement to John James Audubon's Birds of America. Audubon completed his work before many of the Western birds could be collected and drawn. Cassin's work features some of the first published images of America's birds.

Many of the drawings were completed on stone by William E. Hitchcock. Some of the drawings were done by George G. White and transferred to stone. All of the hand-colored lithographs were done by J. T. Bowen, who was also Audubon's lithographer.

John Cassin was a leading ornithologist and America's first taxonomist. Cassin was responsible for many of the Railroad Survey illustrations as the western United States expanded and was explored. He was named curator of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences in 1842 after John T. Bowen's death.

~ 7" by 10 3/4"

1856

The work is very good to excellent condition overall. There is some smudging to the margins. There may be a few imperfections to be expected with age. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.

Illustrations of the birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America