C W Webber — Wild Scenes and Song-Birds

New York, George P Putnam and Co, 1854. First edition. Leather. A beautifully bound, uncommon work of natural history and ornithology. Sumptuously illustrated, with brightly coloured chromolithographs after Alfred Jacob Miller. Extremely scarce in this original publisher's deluxe morocco binding. This morocco binding is seldom seen, and not recorded by Bennett. (Bennett p.111). The first edition, first issue of this work. With twenty chromolithographs, after illustrations by Mrs C W Webber and Alfred J Miller. Miller contributes five illustrations, notable for their depictions of Native American life. Miller was a pioneering Baltimore-born artist, who accompanied Sir William Drummond Steward on his hunting journey to the Rocky Mountains. This is one of two works published containing Miller's illustrations. Collated, complete. The title page states that there are twenty-five coloured lithographs. This is misprint and this edition only contains twenty plates, as stated to the illustration leaf. Written by Charles Wilkins Webber, a journalist and explorer based in the United States. Webber also wrote 'Hunter Naturalist, Wild Scenes and Wild Hunders' and regularly contributed to periodicals. A beautiful copy of this ornithological work, with extremely bright plates. In the publisher's original morocco binding. Externally, very smart with light rubbing to the extremities and to the head and tail of spine. Front hinge is slightly strained but firm. Rear hinge is tender and may detach with further handling. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright. Occasional light scattered spots to pages and light offsetting from plates. Very Good . Ill.: C W Webber; Alfred J Miller. Very Good .