Gould, John | Gould's first work on Australian birds

Gould, John

A Synopsis of the Birds of Australia and the Adjacent Islands. London: published by the Author, 1837–38

4 vols. bound in 1, large 8vo (275 x 185 mm). 73 hand-colored lithograph plates by Elizabeth Gould; some offsetting from plates to text, light toning and spots predominately to margins of text leaves, occasional and scattered foxing to plates, otherwise clean. Half dark green morocco over pebble grain cloth, gilt double-rule, spine with raised bands in six compartments, 2nd and 3rd gilt-lettered, remaining with repeat gilt decoration, top-edge gilt, marbled endpapers; some minor and skillful restoration, area of staining to lower cover, faint dampstaining to endleaves, joints cracked but holding.

First edition of Gould's first work on Australian ornithology.

One of the few illustrated works by Gould not issued in folio format, featuring studies of 199 species, 36 of which were previously unknown. These new species, described at the conclusion of Part IV, were read before the London Zoological Society in December 1838. Hoping to address the lack of Australian ornithological works, Gould lays out the mission of A Synopsis within the prospectus: "The Work will be published in Parts, each of which will contain 18 Plates, with letter-press descriptions ... It is impossible to state the number of parts to which the work may extend." Nearly true to his plan, the work features 18 plates in each part, with the exception of volume 1 which contains 19 plates. The detailed lithographic plates by Elizabeth Gould, the life and professional partner of the author, denote the illustrator's professional development under the tutelage of Edward Lear.

REFERENCES

Ferguson 2271; Nissen IVB 382; Sauer 5; E. Thayer & V. Keyes Catalogue of ... books on Ornithology in the Library of John E. Thayer [Boston: 1913] p.79; Wood p. 364; Zimmer, J.T. Ayer Lib.p. 254; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.101; Nissen SVB 198

PROVENANCE

Edward Milner (bookplate to front pastedown), presumably Edward Milner (1819–1884), the gardener, who was apprenticed to Joseph Paxton at Chatsworth