Bauer, Ferdinand. FERDINAND BAUER'S NATURAL HISTORY DRAWINGS
taken from the Zoological Specimens collected on the First Circumnavigation of Australia, 1801-1803. Large folio (515 by 650 mm. approx.), First Edition; pp. [6]; 46 mounted coloured plates; title printed in red and black; unbound, as issued, in original full cloth Solander box with leather spine label; a fine copy; rare. London; Alecto Historical Editions in conjunction with The Natural History Museum; (1997).
***Edition limited to 50 numbered sets only for sale, plus 10 sets hors commerce. A magnificent and highly attractive work, beautifully reproducing at original size all fifty-two of Bauer's superb original finished drawings of zoological subjects (mammals, birds, fishes and reptiles) gathered on Matthew Flinders' voyage. The subjects include the Bandicoot, Koala, Wombat, Wallaby and Platypus, several parrots and related species, as well as fish, a frog, skink and crab, etc., many of these drawings being the first scientific depiction of the species. Apart from a few small illustrations in books such as Marlene Norst's 'Ferdinand Bauer, the Australian Drawings' (1989), these stunning watercolour drawings have never before been published. Alecto has used stochastic lithography to prepare the plates and printed them by hand one colour at a time on a FAG flatbed proofing press to wonderful effect. The Natural History Museum has undertaken not to sanction another printing of this magnificent work for at least fifty years. Each plate is blind embossed with the chops of the publishers and is titled and numbered in pencil. Loosely enclosed is an example of the original prospectus and pre-publication information. #15695
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