Harris, William C. | One of the great American fishing books

Harris, William C.

The Fishes of North America that are captured on Hook and Line. New York: The Fishes of North America Publishing Co., 1898

Folio (477 x 294 mm). 40 chromolithographic plates, 24 of which by Armstrong & Co, 4 of which by Geo. H. Walker, and others after John L. Petrie, 4 of which mounted as issued, one full-page uncolored illustration opposite the introductory note, numerous uncolored in-text illustrations; old repairs to three text leaves and one plate, remnants of paper to rainbow trout plate, a few mounts with short closed tears at gutter, general toning and a few stray stains, light offsetting. Green half morocco over contemporary green cloth-covered boards, covers gilt-ruled and stamped with gilt arms of a British Ducal family, spine with raised bands in six compartments, second and sixth gilt-lettered and numbered, others ruled with repeat gilt motif; expertly rebacked to style, covers scuffed.

One of the great American fishing books, with forty "very beautifully drawn and color-printed plates of fishes" (Bennett).

Harris had originally intended to complete this work in two volumes, with a total of 80 plates depicting various North American fish. Ultimately, however, only this first volume was published, containing 40 brilliantly colored chromolithographs. The illustrations, painted by John L. Petrie, reproduce living specimens caught by Harris himself across nearly 30,000 miles and 12 years. Alongside Kilbourne and Goode’s 1879 Game Fishes of the United States, the present volume is one of the greatest illustrated ichthyological works of the 19th century.

REFERENCES

Bennett p.51; Bruns B80; McGrath p.197 (parts issue); Nissen ZBI 1840; Wetzel 153; Litchfield 65

PROVENANCE

Family of Algernon Perkins (1808 -1872) (gilt arms to cover)