print room: Rex Brasher
original
prints from The Birds
and Trees of North America
Rex Brasher (1869-1960) was a Connecticut wildlife artist who in the early
1930s produced a limited edition set of books entitled The
Birds and Trees of North America. The work was comprised of 874 prints
(either collotypes or, in later volumes, offset lithographs) of Brasher's
original paintings, painted from 1895 to 1828 and covering 1200 species and subspecies of North American
birds. Unable to afford color printing, Brasher is credited with having done all
of the handcoloring (using airbrush and stencil) of the bird figures in the black-and-white
prints. Assistants helped color less important elements including background
and sky. Although Brasher originally hoped to
complete 500 copies of the work (reflected in the limitation that appeared on the title
page of each volume), he soon realized this would not be feasible given the time
required. He therefore reduced the edition size to 100 copies.
The prints offered here are from a complete copy of the third volume of the
work (covering ducks, geese, swans, flamingo, spoonbill, ibises and herons).
The volume is signed by Brasher on the title page, but is not numbered. This
is consistent with title pages of volumes seen in
the collection of the Library of Congress. The volume is complete with text and 80 plates -- 77 plates illustrating the covered species
and sub-species, plus three decorative bonus plates. The plates measure
around 16 inches x 12
inches (not including the binding edge which is approximately 1-1/4 inches).
Title page with Brasher signature and Index showing the
species of birds and trees in this volume. SOLD
The prints are very clean, well colored, and in overall excellent condition with light
toning along the edges. Numbers shown are the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) numbers.
"Moonlit Haven" - decorative plate showing Whistler
(Tundra) Swans
in moonlight. Stains lower and right
margins, tiny chip bottom right corner. Pale stain top right.
$250
"Redbreast Mergansers: Courting" - decorative plate
showing male mergansers.
SOLD
"Canvasbacks: Off Their Course" - decorative plate. $200
129 Merganser. SOLD
130 Redbreast Merganser.
$175
131 Hood Merganser. SOLD
132 Mallard SOLD
133 Black Duck - 133a Redleg Black Duck - today the
"Redleg" is not considered a separate subspecies. SOLD
134 Florida Duck - Mottled Duck. SOLD
135 Gadwall. SOLD
136 Redhead Widgeon SOLD
137 Baldpate SOLD
139 Greenwing Teal SOLD
140 Bluewing Teal SOLD
141 Cinnamon Teal SOLD
142 Shoveller $150
143 Pintail SOLD
144 Wood Duck SOLD
146 Redhead SOLD
147 Canvasback SOLD
148 Scaup Duck SOLD
149 Lesser Scaup Duck $150
150 Ringneck Duck $150
151 Goldeneye SOLD
152 Barrow Goldeneye SOLD
153 Bufflehead SOLD
154 Oldsquaw SOLD
155 Harlequin Duck SOLD
157 Steller Eider $100
158 Spectacled Eider SOLD
159 Northern Eider $125
160 Eider $150
161 Pacific Eider $125
162 King Eider SOLD
163 Scoter $100
165 Whitewing Scoter $100
166 Surf Scoter SOLD
167 Ruddy Duck $150
168 Mask Duck SOLD
169 Snow Goose SOLD
169.1 Blue Goose $125 A color
morph of the Snow Goose.
169a Greater Snow Goose $150
170 Ross Goose SOLD
171a Whitefront Goose $125
172 Canada Goose 172a Hutchin Goose SOLD
172b Whitecheek Goose SOLD
172c Cackling Goose $125
173a Brant $125
174 Black Brant $125
175 Barnacle Goose $125
176 Emperor Goose $125
177 Blackbelly Treeduck $150
178 Fulvous Treeduck $150
180 Whistling Swan SOLD
181 Trumpeter Swan SOLD
182 Flamingo SOLD
183 Roseate Spoonbill SOLD
184 White Ibis SOLD
186 Glossy Ibis $150
187 Whiteface Glossy Ibis SOLD
188 Wood Ibis SOLD
190 Bittern SOLD
191 Least Bittern SOLD
191.1 Cory Least Bittern $150
192 Great White Heron SOLD
194 Great Blue Heron SOLD
194a Northwestern Coast Heron 194b Ward Heron. Subspecies
of Great Blue Heron. $250
196 Egret SOLD Another copy of this
print (signed by Brasher in marker, without linen binding edge) available for $250.
197 Snowy Egret SOLD
198 Reddish Egret SOLD
199 Louisiana Heron SOLD
200 Little Blue Heron SOLD
201 Green Heron $250
201a Frazar Green Heron 201b Anthony Green Heron $175
