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"A Natural History of Uncommon Birds "
by G.Edwards
"Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and Bahama Islands"
By Mark Catesby
Seligmann Edition
(Sammlung verschiedener auslandischer und seltener Vogel)
Biography of the Artists.
Mark Catesby (24 March 1682 - December 1749).
Born in Essex in 1682, Catesby studied natural history in London and was trained as a botanist before going to stay in 1712 with his sister, Elizabeth Catesby Cocke, in Williamsburg, Virginia to engage in study of Natural History of the New World. He remained there for seven years, sending back to England - to Thomas Fairchild a nurseryman in London- a collections of plants and seeds.
This made his name known to other scientists and, after the death of is father, six years later, he returned to England.
In England he became famous among scientists and was induced by Dr. Sherard and others to undertake another voyage to America, for the express purpose of collecting and describing its natural productions.
Catesby returned to America in 1722 to seek specimens (which went to Sir Hans Sloane) for his Natural History; he travelled extensively in Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and the Bahamas, sending back further specimens.
The fruit of his voyage was this "Natural History of Carolina." “It does great honor to him and his native country, and is perhaps the most curious and elegant performance of its kind that has anywhere appeared in Europe.”
His preface provides a lengthy account of the development of this work, including his decision to study with Joseph Goupy in order to learn to etch his plates himself to ensure accuracy and economy. "He was the first in a long line of ornithologists to teach himself to translate his drawings into a medium that produced multiple copies. As his was the earliest published natural history of a part of the New World, he has been called 'the father of American ornithology' " (Jackson, Bird Etchings, p.87).
Catesby also "made a valuable and important
contribution to ornithological illustration. He was confident enough to break
new ground--to portray his birds more naturally than before, with foliage
backgrounds, and to adopt the folio format. He depicted the natural history in
one area in its entirety, and often drew from living models" (Jackson).
Upon his return to London, he began preparing his book, and as he could not
afford artists, he drew and engraved the plates himself, with the exception of
three by Ehret (two of which are magnolias).
Catesby also makes clear that he considered his illustrations, rather than his equally significant field observations, to be his most important achievement: "The Illuminating [of] Natural History is so particularly Essential to the perfect understanding of it, that I may aver a clearer Idea may be conceiv'd from the Figures of Animals and Plants in their proper Colours, than from the most exact Description without them: Wherefore I have been less prolix in the Discription, judging it unnecessary to tire the Reader with describing every Feather, yet I hope sufficient to distinguish them without Confusion" (preface).
Catesby's Natural History was an immediate sensation;
in a contemporary review in Philosophical Transactions, Cromwell Mortimer,
secretary of the Royal Society, called it "the most magnificent work I
know since the Art of printing has been discovered." Unusually for a work
of this size and expense, two further eighteenth-century editions were called
for, and Catesby's illustrations were pirated and copied across Europe.
Catesby is considered to have possibly served as a model for Audubon in setting
animals against appropriate, often botanical, backgrounds. Linnaeus based a number
of species on Catesby's plates and descriptions. The literature on his great
work is very vast.
George Edwards (03 April 1694 - December 1773)
Edwards (3 April 1694 – 23 July 1773) was born at Stratford, Essex, and received his early education at a public school at Leytonstone, later being apprenticed to a tradesman in London. Having access to a large library of scientific books Edwards studied these assiduously and, having made up his mind not to enter business, decided to travel abroad. Between 1716 and 1733 travelled extensively through mainland Europe, studying natural history, and gained a solid reputation for his coloured drawings of animals, especially birds. He visited many foreign countries but in December of the latter year settled down in London and , through the influence of Sir Hans Sloane, the founder of the British Museum, was chosen as Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians.
He was one of the pioneer English naturalists, whose work was noted for its accurate scientific depiction of its subjects. Working “directly from nature”, he devoted himself to the observation and representation of indigenous and non-indigenous species of birds often from live specimens or prepared and imported by ship from Africa, India, China, and Malaysia. He endeavored to make his drawings of birds and other animals as authentic and lifelike as possible, engraving and hand coloring many of his plates “in their proper colours by my own hand: so that they may be deemed original drawings.” Edwards was a friend of both Mark Catesby, who created the first American ornithology, and Linnaeus, and in 1776 the latter published a Catalogue of the species described by Edwards with both their English and Latin names.
Description of the work.
One of the most beautiful German ornithological works of the 18th century. It is in all essentials a translation by G.L. Huth of George Edwards "A Natural History of Birds" and Mark Catesby's "The Natural History of Carolina", combined into one work, and re-engraved by the Nürnberg engraver and publisher Johann Michael Seligmann.
At its date of issue, it was one of the most important of all bird books, both as a fine bird book and a work of ornithology. It is still high on each list. ("Fine Bird Books"). The majority of the birds were foreign species, usually drawn from live specimen. It became so scientifically important and was so successful, that it had the curious effect that exotic species were often better known than native European birds.
The plates were re-engraved by Seligmann and some of those by Edwards further embellished by the addition of figures and plants not in the originals, according to the models of Mark Catesby and Eleazar Albin.
The colouring was carefully executed and the colours naturally represent the birds portrayed.
The Seligmann’s prints are very prized and, with added botanical and scenic backgrounds, have a superb decorative effect. Extinct Woodpeckers, Carolina Parrot, Passenger Pigeon and lovely peacocks, hummingbirds, cardinals and many more are superbly illustrated: surely the best-loved birds prints.
The original colours are very vivid and bright. There is no foxing.
All our prints are authentic hand coloured antique prints, and these are about 260 years old.
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All our prints are guaranteed authentic antique prints. THESE PRINTS ARE EXTREMELY RARE.
Bibliography Reference: Jackson Dictionary of Bird Artists p.431; Landwehr 180; Nissen IVB 859; Zimmer p.200.