decorative prints
    antique natural history prints from various works

In this area, we offer inexpensive prints from various natural history works. Included is a large selection of plates from Edward Donovan's charming Birds of Britain, a complete selection of hand-colored plates from Goldsmith's Earth and Animated Nature, plus a number of plates from a German natural history by Gottlieb Wilhelm Tobias, and some plates from a German edition of Buffon (sorry, only a few of the Buffon plates left).  Click on thumbnails to see the full-sized scan.

hand-colored engravings from 
Goldsmith's Earth and Animated Nature (1850s - 1870s).

These beautiful hand-colored engravings (most based on the art of J. Stewart) are from the Blackie & Son editions of Oliver Goldsmith's A History of the Earth and Animated Nature. If a date is not shown, the print is from the 1873 edition.  All prints measure about 9-1/2 x 6-1/2 inches (unless otherwise noted), and are in generally good to very good condition with age toning and varying degrees of foxing, soiling etc.  Check out the scan to get a better idea.

#57 Woodpeckers: Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Green W., Great and Lesser Spotted W.  $75 (1862 edition)	#60 Hummingbirds: Bar-tailed HB, Stoke's HB, Underwood's HB, Gould's HB, Topaz-throated HB.  $60  (circa 1850s-70s).  Crease in top right corner (will mat out).  Note - paper is much whiter than usual - most likely this print was cleaned.
#61 Wading Birds: Common crane, white stork, gigantic crane, common heron, little egret. $40.	#59 Songbirds: Lesser Redpole, Goldfinch (M & F), Siskin, Reed Bunting, Golden-crested Wren. $30.  Some creases (1862 edition).
#53 Chickens:  Game cock, Silver-spangled Polish Cock, White-feathered Bantam Hen, Dorking Hen, Black Polish Hen, Malay Cock and Hen. SOLD	#54 Pheasants: Common Peacock, Ringed Pheasant, Horned Pheasant, Silver Pheasant. $40 (1855 edition)
#58 Song Thrush, Ring-Ouzel, Blackbird, Wheat-Ear, Sky-Lark, Redbreast [European Robin]. $30.	#50 Eagles: White-headed Sea Eagle [Bald Eagle], Great Harpy E., Chilian Sea E., Brazilian Caracara E. $35.
#62 Shore Birds: European Oystercatcher, Grey Phalarope summer plumage, Purre or Dunlin s.p., Ringed Dotterel, Turnstone s.p. $25  (1862 edition)	#64 Ducks: Blue-winged Shoveler or Broad Bill, Teal, Harlequin Duck, Scaup Duck, Female Scaup Duck, Red Headed Pochard. $35.
#49 Eagles II: Great Sea Eagle, Golden Eagle, Small Cape Eagle, Wedge Tailed Eagle. $25.   (1862 edition)	#55 American Wild Turkey, Crested Curassow, Galeated C., Red C.  $40 (1855 edition, slightly trimmed)
#63 Black Toed Gull, Richardson's Skua, Glaucous Gull, Black Tern, Lesser Tern. $25.   (1862 edition)	#56 Game birds: Red Grouse, Partridge, Black Cock, Grey Hen, Ptarmigan. $25.
#52 Hawks: Gyr Falcon, Goshawk, Kite or Glead, Peregrine Falcon, Kestril (F). SOLD	#51 Vultures: King of the Vultures, Sociable V., Beardeded V. or Lammergeyer, Griffon V., Condor. $25.

From the same edition, we also have available hand-colored animal, fish and insect plates, plus two beautiful hand-colored frontispieces and uncolored engravings of Baron Cuvier and Oliver Goldsmith.  

Title Page to Volume I Animals of the Tropics. $40  (1862 edition)	Title Page  to Volume II Animals of the Polar Regions. $40 (1862 edition)
#36 Antelopes. $30.  (1862 edition)	#48 Bears. $30.  (1862 edition)
#47 Camels.  $30	#37 Deer, Elk (Wapiti), reindeer and related. $30. (1862 edition)
#40 Wolves and Dogs. $30.	#45 Elephants - $30.
#46 Hippopotamus, Rhinocerous, Tapir - $30.	#44 Kangaroos and related. $30.
#39 Big Cats (lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar).  Some soiling primarily in the margins. $40.	#43 Monkeys. $45  (1862 edition)
#38 Pigs and Boars.  Corner torn, but will mat nicely with animal names visible. $15.	#42 Seals and Walrus. $30. (1862 edition)
#68 Lethal Snakes (ananconda, pedda poda, python, rattlesnakes, cobra). $30.	#41 Squirrels.  Small corner repair top left (will mat out).   SOLD
#66 Shad, Herrings, Sprats, Pilchard, Anchovy. $20.	#67 Cod, Haddock, Whiting, Coal Fish, Ling, Holibut (sic), Mackerel, Smelt or Spirling. Light soiling at top of image. $20.
#65 Salmon, Trout, Parr. $30.	#69 Butterflies.  $25  (1862 edition)
#71 Beetles. $25.  (1862 edition)  SOLD	#70 Bees. $25.  (1862 edition)
Oliver Goldsmith.  $20.	Baron Cuvier.  $20.

copper plate engravings by J. J. Schmuzer

Plate 18. Wood- peckers $35.	Plate 37.  Herons $30.	Plate 11.  Birds with red plumage, nest w/ eggs.  $25.	Plate 43. Ostrich. $25.
Plate 30. Albatross?  $35.	Plate 23. Colorful exotics. SOLD	Plate 10.  Songbirds, nest.  SOLD	Plate 22.  Hummingbirds. SOLD
Plate 3. Raptors  SOLD	Plate 17. Pigeons.  SOLD	Plate 37.  Herons  (2nd copy) SOLD	Plate 29.  Waterbirds including Puffin.  SOLD
Plate 25. Geese. SOLD	Plate 28.  Water birds, razorbill (auk).  SOLD	These prints were from a single collector, and include in the margins old prices, a blind stamp (LIBRIS MW), and a red ink stamp with initials MW outside of the plate mark.  Additional stamps appear on the backs of some prints.  In overall very good condition, some prints show their age in the form of moderate soiling, handling creases, bending or chipping on edges and corners and the occasional small stain. Some retain faint ghosts of penciled notations (usually in the margin) and old prices. Please review the scans at full size and request detailed condition reports

 copper plate engravings from Buffon's Naturgeschichte der Vogel. -- almost sold out

BUF-3. Corner loss.  Very colorful. $15.	These prints were from a single collector, and include in the margins old prices, a blind stamp (LIBRIS MW), and a red ink stamp with initials MW outside of the plate mark.  Additional stamps appear on the backs of some prints.  In overall very good condition, some prints show their age in the form of moderate soiling, handling creases, bending or chipping on edges and corners and the occasional small stain. Some retain faint ghosts of penciled notations (usually in the margin) and old prices. Please review the scans at full size and request detailed condition reports.
BUF-2.  Hawk.  Offsetting of text.  SOLD	BUF-18. SOLD	BUF-4.  Overall nice. SOLD	BUF- 5. Nice color, some soiling. SOLD
BUF-6.  Partridge or Grouse. SOLD	BUF-7. Colorful pigeon (paper toning). SOLD	BUF-8.  Horn bird SOLD	BUF-9.  Black Stork. SOLD
BUF-10.  Pigeon SOLD	BUF-11. Stains on right edge. SOLD	BUF-12.  White Crane. SOLD	BUF-13.  Nice color.  SOLD
BUF-14 Hummingbird.  SOLD	BUF-15. Edge tear (extending to border of image).  SOLD	BUF-16.  Small corner loss. Pigeon. SOLD	BUF-17. Finch-like birds. Nice color, some soiling. SOLD

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Last updated 01.05.10