Martyn William Frederic (4 results)

Condition: Good. 204 un-numbered leaves (of 206), 53 (of 55) hand-col plates. . HB. Fo, cont. half leather, rebacked in antique style, spine with raised bands, gilt rules, leather title piece; corners restored; marbled boards, edge-worn. Edges uncut. Lacks title page and two plates. Some pages frayed at outer margin; several pages with closed tears; some old faint stains to margins. A few plates with short marginal tears, nicks, chips, and marginal stains, not affecting the illustrations. Some scattered light foxing. Plates largely bright and clean. . First volume (of two) covering alphabetical section ABA-KIT. With 53 (of 55) charming hand-coloured plates. This work lists the various species of animals in alphabetical sequence (based on the collections in the Leverian Museum), and is illustrated with engraved, hand-coloured plates. Some of the plates were drawn and engraved by Moses Harris (1730-c.1788), author of The Aurealian, one of the finest of all early illustrated books on Lepidoptera. This volume includes 4 plates drawn and engraved by Harris (3 of butterflies) (3, 19, 23, and 25). Nissen ZBI, 2729; Lisney, 306.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. Folio - over 12 - 15" tall. 1st ed. Two volumes in one. Folio ( 14 inches ). Early -mid 20th century half leather and cloth with gilt spine title, marbled end papers. Complete with index, Preface, text and 100 hand colored plates with many individual animals per plate. Very Good, very tight, very slight wear to covers. The hinges have been professionally strengthened with a high quality cloth tape. The text and plates are generally nice and clean save the following: there is a light, old stain at the top of the second blank end paper, title page, index page, preface page, first plate and first page of text ( see photos ). The title page has been backed and has a repair at the bottom fore corner. The first pate has been laid down and has some overall soiling in addition to the top stain. Three early text leaves have some heavy foxing. the rest of the text is clean save some very little foxing here and there or some light offsetting from the facing color plates. One leaf is strengthened on half the fore edge. The plates are nice and clean with a few having some light overall tanning, a few have some insignificant foxing or a light smudge. One plate has be backed and has some wrinkling. There is a light stain that can be seen on the upper fore edge of the first third of the book but has virtually no or only the very slightest effect on the interior. A copy with a few problems but still a lovely book with many hundreds of individual hand colored illustrations. *** Please note: Expedited and International shipping will require additional postage. ***.

Half-Leather. Condition: Good. Moses Harris and others (illustrator). 1st Edition. A rare and beautiful introduction to natural history. In 2 folio volumes with 99 (of 100) hand coloured plates by Moses Harris and others after his style. Martyn is a pseudonym for William Fordyce Mavor, who authored a wide range of works. The books are set out alphabetically, with the plates reflecting this classification, so they can portray lizards and lynx side by side on the same plate. The pages are double column and unpaginated. The text for each animal is thoughtfully put together eg for the guinea pig 'The Guinea-Pig is a very cleanly creature and totally different from that that affords it a name.Guinea-Pigs repose on their bellies, pretty much in their usual posture.'. The plates are nicely coloured and the ones by Moses Harris (butterflies, moths and shells) are particularly well drawn. This copy is in a contemporary half leather binding with marbled boards. The half leather corners have been replaced with a paper cover. There is some wear to boards and corners but overall they are in good condition. The spines are leather with raised bands and gilt decoration. There are title and volume labels. There is some wear to joints, particularly on Vol I, where there is some cracking at the front hinge, but the bindings are currently sound. Contents generally clean with occasional marking and some edge tearing. There are some pencil notes at the beginning of both volumes. The paper used in this work is particularly soft and prone to edge-tearing. Vol I: red and black title page; Preface; covers A-K; 55 plates; new rear endpaper. A couple of plates have margin/edge tears - Plate I has tear at the top margin with a small piece missing at the corner and a tear at the bottom margin again missing corners; Plate XLVII has a small piece missing from the bottom edge and a repair. The title page has a small hole and 2 repaired edge tears. Vol II: 44 of 45 plates; title page in red and black; text and plates L-Z; 2pp listing of plates; Finis. There is some offsetting from plates to text, occasional browning to pages; and some edge-tearing. Please enquire if you would like more images to assess condition.

Two volumes bound in one. Folio. Contemporary full russia, rebacked preserving the original spine, this with gilt ruled compartments, lettered direct to one panel and with gilt star device to the others, marbled endpapers. 100 handcoloured plates each featuring multiple animal illustrations. Some of the plate tissues wanting and others ragged, degrees of wear and fragility to the lower corners of leaves at the front and rear, in many cases stabilised with archival tissue, some wear to the extremities of the binding but sound.