Eleazar Albin | A Natural History of Birds, 1738-40, 3 volumes

Eleazar Albin

A natural history of birds. London: for the author, to be sold by William Innys, John Clarke and John Brindley, 1731-1737

FIRST EDITION, 4to (286 x 229mm.), dedication leaf in each volume, list of subscribers in third volume, 300 hand-coloured engraved plates (only, of 306), contemporary mottled calf gilt, morocco spines with raised bands, black and red morocco gilt-lettered labels in second and third compartments respectively, lacking 6 plates, light scattered spotting to first and last few leaves of volume one, 1.5in tear at inner margin of plate 8 (not affecting illustration), 15mm marginal closed tear to plate 63 of volume three, slight staining to plate 13 of volume three, rebacked and with edges renewed, minor surface loss to upper cover of volume three

THE FIRST BIRD BOOK WITH COLOUR PLATES. The text accompanying the plates was minimal and mostly taken from other sources, as Albin was an artist rather than an ornithologist, but it was still considered a handsome publication.

PROVENANCE:

Charles Chaplin esq., Blankney, engraved armorial bookplate

LITERATURE:

Fine Bird Books, p.54; Nissen IVB 14