Beschreibung:

GOULD, John (1804-1881) and Nicholas Aylward VIGORS (1787-1840)
A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains. London: [for the Author, 1831-] 1832.
A wide-margined subscriber's copy of Gould's first work, first edition, first issue, with the backgrounds uncoloured ('You will probably recollect that in my first work ... neither the plants or Backgrounds were coloured; In order to render the Series of my Publications complete ... I have had those parts coloured in the few copies I have left...' Gould to Lord Derby, letter dated 5 Feb. 1844). By 1825 Gould had moved to London to pursue his career as a taxidermist. 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. Sauer 1; Anker 168; Fine Bird Books (1990) p.101; Nissen IVB 374; Wood p. 364; Zimmer p. 251.
Folio (560 x 378mm). 80 hand-coloured lithographic plates by Elizabeth Gould after sketches by John Gould, printed by Charles Hullmandel (plates 17, 18, 39 and 40 misbound but the work complete, some very minor repaired tears at fore-edge to title and Advertisement, text leaves to first 2 plates and pl. 24 evenly soiled, pl. 24 with small repaired chip to blank area at head, occasional variable light spotting and offsetting affecting about 10 plates more heavily). 20th-century green three-quarter morocco by Riviere & Son, top edge gilt (extremities faintly rubbed, spine sunned). Provenance: Sir Stephen Glynne, Bt. (subscriber, Hawarden Castle, small library label on front pastedown) – thence by direct descent to the present owner.