{"title":"British Countryside","description":"\u003cp\u003eCelebrate the rich beauty of the British countryside in the spring months. Find exquisite illustrations of British wildlife, with rabbits, blackbirds, and pheasants, and learn the history of flora and fauna with field observations that shaped how Britain’s landscapes and species were recorded and admired.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"nozeman-sepp-bird-nests-dutch-103282","title":"[A Group of Four Birds' Nests].","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"srb-faux-head\"\u003eDutch birds\u003c\/h4\u003eNozeman's work, Nederlandsche Vogelen, which he couldn't finish, became the first comprehensive account of the avifauna of Holland and was the most expensive book for sale in Holland at the time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe plates of the book depict all species known in the Netherlands through the time of publication and frequently feature eggs and nests. They were boldly coloured by the publisher and still belong to the most famous ornithological representations.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e4 hand-coloured engraved plates by Sepp and Sepp the Younger, of birds' nests with eggs; framed \u0026amp; glazed, overall size: 62.8 x 46.5 x 3cm.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"NOZEMAN, Cornelius \u0026 SEPP, Jan Christian.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45547209720113,"sku":"103282","price":6250.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4694\/1233\/files\/103282.jpg?v=1780919007"},{"product_id":"108587","title":"[A Group of Four Plates of Pheasants].","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"srb-faux-head\"\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003eA group of four beautiful lithographs of pheasants taken from the Monograph of the Phasianidae or Family of the Pheasants, by Daniel Giroud Elliot. Elliot, born in New York in 1835, was active in London for 10 years from 1869 publishing his monographs on pheasants and birds of paradise. He was a founder of the American Ornithologists' Union. His luxurious books are notable for using the finest bird artists and lithographers of the time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFour original hand-coloured lithographic plates by Joseph Smit after Joseph Wolf; framed \u0026amp; glazed, overall size: 72cm x 58.5cm x 4.5cm.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSitwell, Fine Bird Books (1990), page 53.\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"WOLF, Joseph (artist).","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45547542708529,"sku":"108587","price":10000.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4694\/1233\/files\/108587_bde89d71-dfc1-4cc0-99a2-0a42200499a1.jpg?v=1780909072"},{"product_id":"john-gould-richter-1840-london-bird-of-australia-procellaria-hasitata-great-grey-petrel-105794","title":"Merula Vulgaris [Common Blackbird].","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"srb-faux-head\"\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003eFrom 'The Birds of Great Britain'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJohn Gould (1804-1881) is widely considered the greatest and most ambitious of all Victorian ornithologists, combining both artistic skill and beauty and anatomical accuracy. Following in the great tradition of Natural History illustrators, such as Barraband and Audubon, Gould enlisted the services of some of the most notable ornithological artists, including Edward Lear, Joseph Wolf and his own wife Elizabeth to compile the most outstanding and comprehensive bodies of work in this field. Comprising of eighteen major works he illustrated the birds of the world, from Asia, New Guinea, Europe, and Great Britain to the Families of Toucans, Trogons and Hummingbirds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginal hand-coloured lithograph, some light spotting, otherwise good. Paper size: 38.3cm x 56cm. +++\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"GOULD J. \u0026 RICHTER, H.C.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45987681304881,"sku":"105794","price":400.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4694\/1233\/files\/105794.jpg?v=1780916532"},{"product_id":"105772","title":"Picus Minor [Lesser Spotted Woodpecker].","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"srb-faux-head\"\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003eFrom 'The Birds of Great Britain'.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJohn Gould (1804-1881) is widely considered the greatest and most ambitious of all Victorian ornithologists, combining both artistic skill and beauty and anatomical accuracy. Following in the great tradition of Natural History illustrators, such as Barraband and Audubon, Gould enlisted the services of some of the most notable ornithological artists, including Edward Lear, Joseph Wolf and his own wife Elizabeth to compile the most outstanding and comprehensive bodies of work in this field. Comprising of eighteen major works he illustrated the birds of the world, from Asia, New Guinea, Europe, and Great Britain to the Families of Toucans, Trogons and Hummingbirds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginal hand-coloured lithograph, light spots, otherwise good. Paper size: 38.4cm x 56cm.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"GOULD J. \u0026 RICHTER, H.C.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46079158288689,"sku":"105772","price":350.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4694\/1233\/files\/105772.jpg?v=1780908960"},{"product_id":"john-gould-richter-1840-london-bird-of-australia-procellaria-hasitata-great-grey-petrel-105792","title":"Picus Major [Spotted Woodpecker].","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"srb-faux-head\"\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003eJohn Gould (1804-1881) is widely considered the greatest and most ambitious of all Victorian ornithologists, combining both artistic skill and beauty and anatomical accuracy. Following in the great tradition of Natural History illustrators, such as Barraband and Audubon, Gould enlisted the services of some of the most notable ornithological artists, including Edward Lear, Joseph Wolf and his own wife Elizabeth to compile the most outstanding and comprehensive bodies of work in this field. Comprising of eighteen major works he illustrated the birds of the world, from Asia, New Guinea, Europe, and Great Britain to the Families of Toucans, Trogons and Hummingbirds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginal hand-coloured lithograph. Paper size: 38.4cm x 56cm. Very light spots, otherwise good.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"GOULD J. \u0026 RICHTER, H.C.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305025130801,"sku":"105792","price":375.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4694\/1233\/files\/105792.jpg?v=1780916532"},{"product_id":"thomas-bewick-birds-quadrupeds-aesop-imperial-octavo-113366","title":"History of British Birds [with] A Supplement to the History of British Birds, A General History of Quadrupeds [and] The Fables of Aesop.","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"srb-faux-head\"\u003emagnificent imperial octavos\u003c\/h4\u003eAn exceptional imperial octavo set, one of only 24 copies of the Land Birds thus, finely bound in crushed morocco. All first editions save for Quadrupeds, which is the fourth and best edition, the first to appear in imperial octavo and with thirteen new wood engravings, textual revisions, and the addition of scientific names. This is variant B of the Land Birds, with the vignette of a jug on page 22 in the horizontal configuration, and the 'indelicate' vignette on page 285 is in the uncensored state. In this copy of the Water Birds all three vignettes noted by Roscoe (pages 136, 269, and 359) match his variant A. The Aesop contains Bewick's facsimile receipt with his thumb mark, the short form variant.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLoosely inserted into this set is a charming typed letter from the Liverpool firm of Henry Young \u0026amp; Sons, Booksellers \u0026amp; Bookbinders, dated June 7th, 1905. It describes this as 'an exceedingly fine copy of the first issue with both the rare supplements... together with the \"History of Quadrupeds\" and \"Fables of Aesop\". They make in all 4 volumes, and this is the finest set we have ever seen. The \"Quadrupeds\", though 4th edition, is really the best edition, as it contains more matter than the earlier issue; and the engravings are very much more carefully printed and consequently finer impressions... This truly magnificent set possesses every essential point necessary to the collector, or to anyone desirous of possessing fine books in the best state obtainable... They differ in many respects from the numerous reprints, none of which can be compared with the original editions, especially the Imperial Paper Issues, which are so rare that, during a business career of more than half a century this is the Only Set that has passed through our hands'. The recipient of the letter, Norman Pringle Todd Esq. of Chislehurst, took Young \u0026amp; Sons up on their offer, and added his bookplate to each volume.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThomas Bewick (1753-1828) was the leading wood-engraver of his day and indeed one of the greatest of all time. His books were the first illustrated guides that were accessible to the middle class, but they also transcended their subject. The Birds was referred to in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, and Bewick was referenced by Wordsworth in The Two Thieves: 'Oh now that the genius of Bewick were mine, And the skill which he learned on the banks of the Tyne.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst editions of the Birds and Aesop, fourth and best edition of the Quadrupeds; 4 vols, 8vo (25.5 x 15.5 cm); approximately 1,000 wood engravings within the text, occasional light spotting, particularly to titles, but overall contents clean; finely bound in green levant morocco, crushed, spines elaborately gilt in compartments with pomegranate and foliate tools, triple gilt rules to boards and turn-ins, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt; bookplates, spines browned, uneven fading to boards, light old dampmarks to the Aesop volume, a very good set.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eRoscoe (Thomas Bewick: A Bibliography Raisonné).\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"BEWICK, Thomas \u0026 John.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53493522334071,"sku":"113366","price":5000.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4694\/1233\/files\/113366.jpg?v=1780921876"},{"product_id":"morris-british-birds-eggs-mixed-1863-117636","title":"A History of British Birds [and] A Natural History of the Nests and Eggs of British Birds.","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"srb-faux-head\"\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003eMixed early issues of Francis Orpen Morris's A History of British Birds and A Natural History of the Nests and Eggs of British Birds. Exploring known British species and their way of life, Orpen created these simplified and streamlined series with education in mind. The hand-coloured engravings, which would have normally made books such as these very expensive in this period, were made affordable to promote the learning of bird identification.\u003cbr\u003eOrpen was dogged in his attempt to update these books as new species were added to the British lexicon, which resulted in new issues being released alongside reprints of past issues as seen here. He stated that another one of his goals was to make these books readable, and also financially accessible to every class that wished to study Natural History. 'He also supported the causes of bird protectionism and anti-vivisectionism—in a rare absence from his parish he travelled to London to give evidence before the select committee on wild birds protection on 26 June 1873. He was instrumental in establishing the Plumage League in 1885, and he was one of the earliest members of the Selbourne League, which was created in December of the same year. In 1888 the government acknowledged his work as a naturalist with the award of a civil-list pension of £100 per annum.' (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMixed set, 9 vols, 8vo (24.8 x 15.2 cm); 579 hand-coloured plates, vol. 4 of British Birds lacking one plate vol. 2 of Nests and Eggs lacking one plate vol. 1 of Nests and Eggs lacking two plates; light spotting and toning; contemporary gilt-blocked cloth, light wear on the edges, vol. 5 cover has mark, very good condition; 360 pp.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eFreeman, British Natural History Books, pg. 249-250.\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"MORRIS, Francis Orpen.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55417057673591,"sku":"117636","price":1750.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4694\/1233\/files\/117636.jpg?v=1780918674"},{"product_id":"robert-sweet-british-flower-garden-complete-set-119574","title":"The British Flower Garden;","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"srb-faux-head\"\u003ea rare complete set\u003c\/h4\u003eFirst editions, a rare complete set of both series of this monumental work, being an important record of the flowers cultivated in England during the early 19th century. Illustrated with more than seven thousand hand-coloured plates, it also includes the rare monograph on the Amaryllideae by Adrian Hardy Haworth that was distributed as an appendix to the second series, volume I.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRobert Sweet (1783-1835) began his career as a gardener and became a well-known horticulturist and member of the Linnean Society. Between 1826 and 1831 he 'occupied himself almost wholly in the production of botanical works, while still cultivating a limited number of plants in his garden at parson's Green, Fulham... His works included Hortus suburbanus Londinensis (1818); Geraniaceae (5 vols., 1820–30); Sweet's hortus Britannicus (1826); Flora Australasica (1827–8); and an ornithological work, The British Warblers (1823). The botanical genus Sweetia was named in his honour by Candolle in 1825.' (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst editions; 7 volumes, 8vo (24.5 x 15.5 cm); 712 hand-coloured engraved plates, some of which are folding, occasional small spots and light offsetting, but overall contents clean; 19th-century green half morocco, marbled sides, spines gilt in compartments with floral tools, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, bindings a little rubbed with some wear at the extremities, a very good set.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNissen 1923; Great Flower Books pg. 77; Dunthorne 293.\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"SWEET, Robert.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55710985945463,"sku":"119574","price":9750.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4694\/1233\/files\/119574_848f6b5c-62dc-4a36-800c-94fac0ee55c1.jpg?v=1780920595"},{"product_id":"116466-curtis-flora-londinensis-1775-116466","title":"Flora Londinensis: or plates and descriptions of such Plants As Grow Wild In The Environs Of London:","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"srb-faux-head\"\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003eFirst edition with variant title page, of William Curtis's magisterial survey of the flora of London and the southern counties of England. It was the earliest English flora illustrated with coloured plates to be in any way approaching comprehensive. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis issue has a variant title page, with an imprint reading '... by the Author, at his Botanic-Garden, Lambeth-Marsh...'. These volumes were assembled from spare sheets for general sale rather than for subscribers, explaining why the preparatory pages were not included. Another example of this variation is in the Thordarson collection in Madison, Wisconsin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePortrait frontispiece was engraved by F. Sansom, who also contributed to the Flora Londinensis. It was published in memoriam in 1800 by Thomas Curtis a year after William Curtis's death in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, then subsequently added to this volume.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe work, intended to portray all the native plants within a ten-mile radius of London, was issued irregularly in 75 numbers between May 1775 and 1798. However, Curtis's ambitious enterprise received little encouragement, and was cut short for lack of subscriptions. According to Henrey's account, no more than 300 of any single number are believed to have been printed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCurtis's reputation as a botanist was such that he was made the praefectus horti (or director) of the Society of Apothecaries at the Chelsea Physic Garden in 1772. The following year he established a botanical garden for the cultivation and study of native British plants at Bermondsey. This garden was to move twice: first to Lambeth Marsh and later Brompton. He cultivated some 6,000 species from all over the world in his garden, including medicinal and culinary herbs, English wild flowers, trees and shrubs. For an annual subscription of a guinea patrons could visit Curtis's garden and attend the lectures he gave there, and for an extra guinea a year they could also have a share in the plants and seeds from the garden.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst edition with variant title page; 2 vols, folio (46 x 27 cm); 435 (on 432) hand-coloured plates, bound without list of subscribers, vol. 1 dedication and catalogue of plants in the environs of settle, minor spotting and toning; contemporary calf rebacked to style, triple gilt fillets, marbled endpapers and edges, some wear and scuffing of the boards, edges and corners conserved, a very good set.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCleveland (Herbal), 532; Dunthorne 87; Great Flower Books (1990) p. 88; Henrey 595; Hunt 650; Nissen (BBI), 439; Pritzel 2004; Stafleu \u0026amp; Cowan TL2 1286.\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"CURTIS, William.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56195495756151,"sku":"116466","price":9500.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4694\/1233\/files\/116466_d900775f-f302-42c4-8290-6e9e68aea2f2.jpg?v=1780909463"},{"product_id":"william-yarrell-history-british-birds-first-edition-1843-121865","title":"A History of British Birds.","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"srb-faux-head\"\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003eFirst edition in book form of this classic of ornithological illustration, originally published in sheets between 1837 and 1843.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYarrell (1784 – 1856) was a noted English zoologist and one of the original members of the Zoological Society. Yarrell took over his father's bookshop and newsagent but spent his spare time becoming a proficient shooter, angler and collector of specimens. He joined the Royal Institution in 1817, and having published his first zoological work, On the Occurrence of some Rare British Birds, was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society of London in 1825.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst edition; 3 vols, 8vo; 520 wood-engravings within the text, extra engraved portrait of Yarrell loosely inserted, contents partially unopened and faintly toned but otherwise clean; original blue cloth, titles to spines gilt, black coated endpapers, edges untrimmed, cloth lightly rubbed, a very good set; 528, 672, \u0026amp; 528pp.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eFreeman, British Natural History Books 4177.\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"YARRELL, William.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56803034759543,"sku":"121865","price":500.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4694\/1233\/files\/121865_0e7dd241-d831-43a4-8b6a-67411cd56144.jpg?v=1780922750"},{"product_id":"122481","title":"British Butterflies and Their Transformations.","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"srb-faux-head\"\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\"A high, and arguably unequalled standard in Victorian butterfly book illustration\" (Dunbar).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWestwood, a distinguished entomologist and member of the Linnean Society, collaborated in writing the text to accompany the charming paintings by Humphreys. Each print depicts several species artistically composed among the flowering caterpillar food plants, and in many instances the caterpillar and chrysalis are shown. Some of the grander European species are also shown.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst edition; 4to (28 x 23 cm); bookplate to pastedown, additional hand-coloured pictorial half-title, 42 lithograph plates by H. N. Humphreys, printed in colours and finished by hand, paper flaw to p. 45, spotting to endpapers; half green morocco over marbled paper boards, spine gilt, all edges gilt, a little rubbing to extremities; [2], xii, 138, [2] pp.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"WESTWOOD, John Obadiah; HUMPHREYS, Henry Noel (illus.)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56832308478327,"sku":"122481","price":950.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4694\/1233\/files\/122481.jpg?v=1780910083"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4694\/1233\/collections\/British_Countryside.png?v=1773763001","url":"https:\/\/shapero.com\/collections\/british-countryside.oembed","provider":"Shapero Rare Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}