The Birds of the Himalaya mountains. The wealth of natural resources from India and its central regions.

A century of birds from the Himalaya Mountains.

Contemporary half leather binding with nine raised bands, Folio. H. 56 x W. 37 cm. / H. 22 x W. 14.57 inch.

80 fine hand-colored lithographic plates, by and after Elizabeth Gould, after sketches by John Gould (1804-1881).
In 1827, shortly after the foundation of the Zoological Society of London, he was appointed Curator of Birds and Preserver at the Society’s museum in Bruton Street. The present work came about as a result of this appointment: while working on a collection of bird specimens from the Himalayas, Gould realized that they formed the first collection of any size from the area to reach Europe and that there would be a ready market for a large-format work which included accurate descriptive text and plates. “India, and especially its central regions, presents a field the richness of whose stores at once invites and repays the industry of the naturalist […] the fortunate possession of a valuable collection from the Himalayan mountains, has enabled the author to lay this Century of hitherto unfigured birds before the public…” (Preface).

The subscribers included Audubon, Cuvier, Jardine, Latham, Lear, Selby, Swainson, and Yarrell. Title page with a repaired tear, some spotting outside the plates.

A good copy with bright and strong colours.

Sauer 1; Anker 168; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.101; Nissen IVB 374; Wood p. 364; Zimmer p. 251