Lot 10: GOULD, John (1804-1881) and Richard Bowdler SHARPE (1847-1909).A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds.London: Taylor and Francis (vols. I-V) for the Author, [1849]-1861; (Supplement) for Henry Sotheran & Co., [1880]-1887.

GOULD, John (1804-1881) and Richard Bowdler SHARPE (1847-1909). A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds. London: Taylor and Francis (vols. I-V) for the Author, [1849]-1861; (Supplement) for Henry Sotheran & Co., [1880]-1887. 6 volumes (including the Supplement), large 2° (545 x 365mm). 418 fine hand-colored lithographic plates, many highlighted in gold leaf overpainted with transparent varnish and oil colors, by Gould, Henry Constantine Richter and William Hart, printed by Hullmandel and Walton, Walter and the Mintern Brothers mounted on guards. (A minority of plates affected by light spotting, heavier spotting in just a few cases, text also spotted in places.) Contemporary hard-grained green morocco, ruled in gilt, spine in 6 compartments with 5 raised bands, gilt-lettered in 2, ruled in gilt in the rest, edges gilt by J.B. Hawes; volume 6 in 20th-century binding to match by Gray (extremities very lightly rubbed). Provenance: Joshua Clarke (armorial bookplate); Sir Giles Loder Bt. (1914-1999) British book collector (sold Christie's London 2 June 1999, lot 38, bookplate). GOULD'S MASTERPIECE. "An incomparable catalogue and compendium of beauties" (Fine Bird Books p. 29). Most of the subjects came from Gould's own collection of Humming-bird specimens, a number of which he exhibited at the Regent's Park Zoological Gardens during the Great Exhibition of 1851. The plates gave Gould the chance to display the new technique of imitating the birds' iridescent plumage by the use of brilliant metallic coloring. This is an attractively-bound copy of good size. Ayer/Zimmer pp. 258 & 263-64; Anker 177; Fine Bird Books p. 78; Nissen IVB 380; Sauer 16 and 29; Wood p. 365.