Friderich - Deutschen Vögel - 1905

THE GREAT GERMAN ORNITHOLOGY WITH 410 COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS OF EUROPEAN BIRDS
Magnificent fifth edition, completely revised and expanded, of the celebrated ornithological work by Carl Gottfried Friderich, one of the most important illustrated manuals devoted to German and European avifauna from the 19th to the 20th century. Published in Stuttgart in 1905, this edition represents the culmination of the original work thanks to the scientific update curated by Alexander Bau and the richly detailed iconographic apparatus consisting of 410 color plates distributed over 52 chromolithographic plates, in addition to numerous in-text illustrations, a plate dedicated to soaring raptors, and two explanatory plates dedicated to traditional methods of catching birds. A classic of European ornithology that combines scientific rigor, typographic quality, and extraordinary illustrative beauty.
WHY TO BUY
Fifth edition, completely rebuilt and significantly expanded.
Includes virtually all European bird species known at the time.
Important reference for ornithologists, collectors, and natural history scholars.
Splendid illustrated green cloth binding with gold decorations and a bird figure impressed on the front cover.
A fundamental work of German natural history dissemination from the early twentieth century.

MARKET VALUE
The great illustrated works of ornithology published in Germany between the late 19th and early 20th centuries enjoy a stable international market, sustained by both collectors of scientific books and natural history enthusiasts. Complete copies of the 52 color plates, preserved in the original binding, are consistently sought after. Good-condition copies are generally marketed between 300 and 600 euros.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Original green cloth binding illustrated, with title and engravings impressed in gold on the covers and spine, decorative figure of a bird on the front board. Illustrated with 410 natural-history color plates on 52 unbound plates, numerous wood engravings and in-text drawings. Binding shows signs of use, some abrasions and wear to the tips and corners. Spine slightly detached. In old books with a long history, there may be some imperfections, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 860; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Naturgeschichte der Deutschen Vögel.
Stuttgart, Verlag für Naturkunde Sprösser & Nägele, 1905.
Von C. G. Friderich.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The work constitutes one of the most important syntheses of German ornithology of the early 20th century. Friderich collected and systematized decades of observations on Central European avifauna, describing morphology, geographic distribution, habitat, behavior, nest-building, migrations, and diet of the species. The 1905 edition considerably expands the original content, updating it according to the most recent zoological knowledge, offering a nearly complete repertoire of European birds known at the time. The splendid chromolithographic plates, produced with great naturalistic accuracy, make the volume one of the most appreciated German popular ornithological atlases.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Carl Gottfried Friderich (1787-1874) was a German naturalist, zoologist, and science popularizer. His works devoted to birds contributed decisively to the spread of ornithology among scholars, teachers, and natural history enthusiasts. After his death, the text continued to be updated and expanded by specialists, including Alexander Bau, remaining for decades one of the main reference manuals of German ornithology.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The first edition appeared in the mid-19th century and underwent numerous reprints and revisions. The fifth edition of 1905 represents the most complete and scientifically updated version of the work, deeply revised and enriched with a much more extensive illustrative apparatus than previous printings. Thanks to the high quality of the chromolithographs and taxonomic accuracy, the volume remained one of the principal illustrated reference texts on European avifauna for many years.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Anker, Bird Books and Bird Art.
Nissen, Die Zoologische Buchillustration.
Wood, An Introduction to the Literature of Vertebrate Zoology.
Zimmer, Catalogue of the Edward E. Ayer Ornithological Library.