MORRIS ORIGINAL 1st Ed. ROYAL Octavo MALLARD DUCK

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MORRIS ORIGINAL 1st Ed. ROYAL Octavo MALLARD DUCK :
$59.99

WILD MALLARDDUCK

PLATE 269

FIRST

ROYAL OCTAVO

EDITION

From theacclaimed First Royal Octavo Edition of REV. FRANCIS ORPEN MORRIS\' masterpiece,A HISTORY OF BRITISH BIRDS,Golden Eagle Gallery is delighted toprovide for your considerationan AUTHENTIC ANTIQUE HAND-COLORED XYLOGRAPH (engraving on hardwood). This rare treasureis ahighlysought afterexample of the finestin 19th centuryNatural History Art. This accurately detailedportrait of the elegant Common Wild Duck {Mallard}washand-engraved, hand-printed and hand-coloredon thick wove paper in 1856 featuring thedistinctive biscuit tinted backgroundfound only in first edition color plates and notin subsequent editions of Morris\' \"Birds\".

This exquisitely rendered and generously sized antique hand-coloredengraving measuressix and one-eigthinchesbyten inches. This fine art portrait isinexcellent condition with rich and bright original hand applied watercolor pigment. Remnants of previous binding alongthe lower edge with some associated creasing well outside the image area.

This authentic hand-colored engraving was carved by the masterful 19th century Yorkshire color printer and engraver Benjamin Fawcett, the creative and techinical genius behind the beautiful and popular Victorian classic A HISTORY OF BRITISH BIRDS.

An account of the career of Fawcett, by fellow engraver W.D. Ridley entitled \"BENJAMIN FAWCETT COLOUR PRINTER & ENGRAVER\" published in 1925 by Oxford University Press observes:

\"Benjamin Fawcett was undoubtedly a born genius in the best sense of the word; for in a remote country town in the early days of railway facilities, when it must have been difficult to buy high grade colour inks, he brushed all difficulties aside, purchased his own boxwood shipped directly from Turkey, matured it, sawed it in slices, surfaced it accurately, drew the whole of his work, Morris\' A History of British Birds, upon these blocks himself, and with the aid of his clever wife, actually produced the first edition....If there ever was a secret which produced the fine results it would have been Benjamin Fawcett engraving every one of the three hundred and sixty plates for this work on wood with his own hand... making the inks himself from the costliest powders and the most expensive varnishes [gum arabic] procurable... and each specimen plate for the colourers painted by his wife. This, I believe, is an achievement without parallel in book production. The very finest paper and other materials were used.\"

In personal correspondence from Rev. M.C.F. Morris (son of Rev. F.O. Morris) dated 12 April 1932 to William Appleyard, an heir of one of the original subscribers to his father\'s work, the younger Morris remarks: \"I am glad to hear that yours is the FIRST EDITION of my father\'s [History of British] \'Birds\', that is by far the best and most valuable; because the plates being engraved on wood are much sharper in this than in the later editions. Queen Victoria\'s Consort, Prince Albert, as he was then called was much interested in the work and could not understand how a work of that character could have been produced in a small town like Driffield; but Fawcett was no ordinary man.... When the work was completed two copies of it were sent to the Queen who had been graciously pleased to have the books dedicated to her. One of these copies was placed in the Library at Windsor Castle and the other, the Prince presented to the Library at Wellington College.\"

A FINE FIRST EDITION BOXWOOD ENGRAVING FROM REV. FRANCIS ORPEN MORRIS\' SIX VOLUME WORK A HISTORY OF BRITISH BIRDS PUBLISHED IN LONDON BY GROOMBRIDGE & SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW 1848-1855. Remnants of previous binding alongthe lower edge with some associated creasing well outside the image area.

ONE THOUSAND COPIES OF THE FIRST EDITION WERE PRODUCED OVER ONE HUNDRED FIFTY FIVE YEARS AGO.

THIS ORIGINAL FIRST EDITION PLATE IS HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER BY COLLECTORS AND SUPERIOR TO THE LATER smaller size cabinet editions. All works of art offered by Golden Eagle Gallery are GUARANTEED ORIGINAL.

Historic original letter press text pages describing the bird\'s habits, habitat and geographic distributionare available for an additional $3.00 and will be sent with the engraved portrait upon the successful buyer\'s request.

Fawcett\'s historiccollaboration with Morris created a monumental work thathas a well deserved place in the pantheon of great ornithological illustrated books alongside such masters as John James Audubon, Jacques Barraband, Charles Robert Bree, Mark Catesby, John Gould, John Gerrard Keulemans, Edward Lear, Peter Paillou, Jean Gabriel Pretre, Prideaux John Selby, Alexander Wilson and Josef Wolf.

References: Sacheverell Sitwell, Fine Bird Books 1700-1900, p. 90; W.D. Ridley, Benjamin Fawcett Coulor Printer & Engraver, 1924.