The Birds of California (1923)- in incredible condition, in the very rare original wooden box


By: Dawson, William

Price: $3,750.00 USD

Condition: Very Good - Fine

Views: 81


The Birds of California: a Complete, Scientific and Popular Account of the 580 Species & Subspecies South Moulton Company, 1923. Four oversized volumes (12.5 x 10 x 3") in their very solid original wooden box. Total weight of the four volumes and box: 47 lb. (SHIPPING WITHIN THE US IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF THE BOOK! In carefully packed Double-Boxed Packaging). No 69 of 100 of the 'De Luxe, Patron's Inlaid Edition' (see photo 20 for complete list of editions of this book). Signed by Dawson in the first volume. With 110 full-page color plates and 44 drawings in the text by Allan Brooks. There are also 30 photogravures, 120 full-page duo-tone plates, and more than 1100 in-text line cuts and photographs of birds, nests, eggs and favorite places. In full leather with hand-carved, hand-colored and enameled hardwood birds in half relief attached on covers, decorative protective bosses to rear covers, spine panels separated by inlaid bird figures, top edges gilt, end-papers with bird designs. -- The wooden box for the four books has rails to slide the books in between. They create spaces so that the wooden birds in half relief on the cover of each book don't touch the neighboring books. -- 250 copies of the Patron's Edition were made. 150 of the 'Patron's Plain Edition'. The set for sale here is no. 69 of only 100 copies of the 'Patron's Inlaid Edition or Raised Leather Edition' It is the most opulent and rare of the many editions of The Birds of California published under the sponsorship of Ellen Browning Scripps. -- Comes with: "The Condor -A Magazine of Western Ornithology" (1939), that has a 13-page article: "Bibliographic Notes on Dawson's Birds of California" by W. Lee Chambers. The article includes several photos. One shows the set and the box as offered here. -- Condition: Almost fine, only a few minor scratches to the spines (see photos). There are three areas with well done old tape repairs to the end-papers in volumes I and III. Spines darkened. Pages very clean, no foxing, no markings. All color plates with printed, undamaged glassine paper protectors. Bindings solid. The wooden case has some minor shelfwear. In incredible condition after 100 years..

Title: The Birds of California (1923)- in incredible condition, in the very rare original wooden box

Author Name: Dawson, William

Edition: First

Location Published: San Diego, South Moulton Company: 1923

Binding: Full leather hardcovers in wooden display box

Book Condition: Very Good - Fine

Jacket Condition: no dj's as issued, comes in solid box as issued.

Categories: Fine Binding, Illustrated Books, Limited Editions, Science, Book

Seller ID: 2082off