Natural History

Paris: Dubochet, 1842. Full calf, 10.5 inches tall. A stunning full cat's paw calf by Clarke & Bedford, one of the finest binders of the period in pristine condition. With gilt raised bands, delightful label and superb gilt tooling to the panels. With gilt dentelles and all edges. Armorial bookplate. Embellished with 4 hand coloured engraved plates, 2 portraits, and full page engravings and vignettes throughout.

London: John Van Voorst, 1841. Full morocco, 11 inches tall. A stunning full hard grain morocco by Toovey of Piccadilly with gilt raised bands, exceptionally fine gilt tooling to the panels and a triple fillet framing the boards. Gilt dentelles and top edge. One of only 50 'Imperial' copies. With the leather label of Denning. Illustrated with 336 engraved vignettes. Thomas Rymer Jones, eminent English surgeon, academic and zoologist was Fullerian Professor of Physiology at the Royal Institution in 1840 to 1842.

London: John Murray, 1888. 2 volume set, 7 1/2 inches tall. A smart late Victorian half morocco binding by Birdsall with gilt raised bands and finely gilt tooled panels. Gilt top edges. Foxing to the preliminaries, then clean, and a nick to the head cap of volume 2. An elegant set of this early edition.

London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1896. Full morocco, 7 inches tall. A beautiful binding in full crushed morocco by Zaehnsdorf with gilt raised bands and superb field sport centre tools framed in the panels. The same centre tools adorn the boards around an ornate decorated panel. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Armorial bookplate. Charming frontispiece and vignettes by Charles Whymper. A fine copy of one of Jefferies works in which the great English naturalist depicts various aspects of English rural life.

London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1890. Full calf, 8 inches tall. A classic late Victorian tree calf binding by Griffiths with gilt raised bands and exceptional extra gilt panels. With the gilt prize block of Waterloo College on the upper board and their bookplate on the front paste down end paper. Well illustrated throughout. Some light foxing. The title continues "...the Natural History and geology of the Countries Visited during the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle Round the World, under the Command of Captain Fitz Roy, R.N.."

London: John Van Voorst, 1841. Full calf, 8 1/2 inches tall. Full early Victorian calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and dense gilt tooling to the panels. The spine is faded to gold, overall a delightful binding on a work of Natural History more whimsical than scientific. The engravings, in particular are particularly charming.

London: Swan Sonnenscein & Co., 1894. Half morocco, 9 inches tall. A very pretty copy of this interesting study in a half crushed morocco by Zaehnsdorf with elaborate gilt tooling on a smooth back. Gilt top edge. Rather splendid 'Arthurian' bookplate. Embellished with a portrait and 4 engraved plates. A previous owner's neat ink signature on a blank.

London: John Van Voorst, 1837. Full calf, 8 1/2 inches tall. Full early Victorian calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and dense gilt tooling to the panels. The spine is faded to gold, overall a delightful binding on a work of Natural History more whimsical than scientific. Illustrated with nearly 200 engravings in the text.

London: J. and A Arch et al., 1837. Half calf 9 inches tall. An attractive and unusual binding by Mudie with wide gilt raised bands and blind tooling radiating from a gilt centre tool in the panels. Gilt top edge. Embellished with engraved vignettes. Bookplate.

London: The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1849. Full morocco, 7 1/2 inches tall. An impressive Victorian binding with gilt raised bands, fine extra gilt tooling to the panels and boards, gilt dentelles and all edges. Engraved illustrations throughout. Slight rubbing and a neat ink inscription, dated 1852, on the first blank. Philip Henry Gosse was an English naturalist who popularised many aspects of natural science. He natural created the world's first public aquarium at London Zoo in 1853, and coined the term "aquarium".

London: John Van Voorst, 1839. Full calf, 8 1/2 inches tall. Full early Victorian calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and dense gilt tooling to the panels. The spine is faded to gold, overall a delightful binding on a work of Natural History which is rather more whimsical than scientific. Embellished with more than 40 woodcuts.

London: Longman et al, 1835. Full calf, 6.5 inches tall. With a raised title and very wide raised gilt head and tail band. The lower panels have dense blind tooling within gilt rolls. Gilt and blind tooling to the boards. Engraved title page and vignettes throughout. Considerably rubbed edges but still perfectly tight and firm. A truly charming little volume.

London: Thomas Nelson, c.1910. Full vellum, 6 inches tall. A delightful little full vellum binding with the spine and boards gilt and with yapp foredge. All edges gilt. With the bookplate of S & E Virgo. Portrait.