Bewick, Thomas ; David Esslemont — Birds : Impressions from Original Wood-Blocks

Montgomery, Wales, David Esselmont, 2001. Hardcover. One of ten copies specially bound for Oak Knoll Books. Red boards with informational pamphlet (7 pp.) inside front cover. 17 b+w prints from engravings. Thomas Bewick, 1753-1828, was born in the north of England at Cherryburn, on the south bank of the river Tyne, twelve miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to Ralph Beilby, a general engraver in Newcastle. Ten years later he formed a partnership with Beilby. Wood engraving was only a small part of the business and the majority of the work involved engraving inscriptions and decorations on a wide variety of objects such as guns, dog collars, harness, clock faces, rings, cutlery, and the engraving of banknotes, billheads and even bookbinders' tools and letters. Bewick is best known for his wood engravings in his two works of natural history: "A General History of Quadrupeds" and "A History of British Birds, Vol I Land Birds, Vol II Water Birds. VG+ Exlib with stickers on spine and back cover .