Oliver Goldsmith - A History of the Earth and Animated Nature - 1860

A History of the Earth and Animated Nature, by Oliver Goldsmith, With an Introductory View of the Animal Kingdom by Baron Cuvier; Copious Notes of Discoveries in Natural History, And a Life of the Author by Washington Irving. Published by A. Fullarton and Co., undated but c.1860. In six divisions, complete with 73 full-page hand-coloured illustrations and 2 hand-coloured title page illustrations. All the colour plates have tissue guards.

Division 1: [lvi], 144 pp, black and white portrait frontispiece; Division 2: 191pp (p.145-336), Division 3: 199pp (p.337-536); Division 4: [ii] 192pp, Division 5: 175pp (p.193-368), Division 6: 172pp (p.369-541), includes a list of plates and index for the whole work, as well as spare title pages for the binding in two volumes. The divisions were issued and sent to subscribers over a period of time by the publishers and, when complete, the six divisions would be bound into two volumes, the form in which this work is usually found. The colour plates in each division are here all bound in together at the beginning of each book, seemingly in random order. The ‘List of Coloured Plates’ at the beginning of Division 1 indicates where each plate would be placed in the two planned volumes. The six cloth bindings of this subscription edition would then be discarded.

The page numbering is continuous in Divisions 1-3 and the text in the one book may end in mid-sentence and continue in the following book. The same applies for Divisions 4-6.

Blind-stamped green cloth covers with gilt design to front cover and decorative gilt titles to spine. No inscriptions or bookplates. Shelf wear to top and bottom of spines. The covers have light scuffing here and there and a few marks and stains. Corners are bumped and there is wear to the bottom edges of the covers. Otherwise very good. The first page of Division 1 is almost detached and the last page is wholly detached. Bindings otherwise holding firm. The page edges have spotting to greater or lesser extent and this has crept into the books and affects some of the colour plates, mainly at edges, though most of the plates are unaffected. A few of the plates also have light handling marks. The great majority of the colour plates are printed on heavy paper and are in fine bright condition. Text pages are largely clean and free of marks, stains etc., with some spotting to first and last pages.

Overall an attractive set of this work in very good condition.

Book size: 26.7 x18 cm
Weight: 4 kg

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