Lot 65: The Audubon's definitive study of American four-footed wildlife

AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES and BACHMAN, JOHN

The Quadrupeds of North America. New York: V. G. Audubon, 1856-60. The third edition. Three volumes. Publisher's elaborately blind-stamped and gilt lettered brown morocco, all edges. 11 x 7 1/2 inches (28 x 19 cm); 155 hand-colored lithographed plates printed by J.T. Bowen; xvi, 383; 334; v, 348 pp., half-titles present. The bindings rubbed and with some scratches and nicks, the head of the rear cover of volume I badly rubbed, remnants of old shelf lettering at foot of spine, slight snag to headcap of volume III, the endpapers and flyleaves strengthened at gutter, spotting to preliminaries, some thumbsoiling and toning, the plates generally clean.

A complete set of John James Audubon's definitive study of American four-footed wildlife, the most successful color-plate book to be produced in America in the 19th century. Audubon conducted the research for Quadrupeds by travelling across America, notably over the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains (and at the advanced age of 58 years old no less). Weakened by the return journey, he was only able to complete a little over half of the drawings needed for the book, and so he left the remaining animals, mostly smaller ones, to be drawn by his eldest son, John Woodhouse. The text was mostly compiled by John Bachman, then the leading expert on American mammals. While Audubon lived to see the publication of the "elephant" folio of Quadrupeds, he died in 1851 with the quarto edition only partly completed. This third edition is the last to be produced by the Audubon family. Wood p. 208; Nissen IZB 163; Reese, Stamped With A National Character 38; Sabin 2638.