Lot 103
Sowerby, James
The Mineral Conchology of Great Britain
£7,250
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs
Auction: 13 July 2022 from 10:00 BST
Description
Or Coloured Figures and Descriptions of those Remains of Testaceous Animals or Shells, which have been preserved at Various Times and Depths in the Earth. London: Benjamin Meredith [and others], 1812-29. First edition, 6 volumes, 8vo (23 x 14cm), later half morocco by Riviere & Son for Henry Sotheran, engraved portrait frontispiece, 611 hand-coloured engraved plates (numbered 1-609: including 33 and 184 bis; 22 folding; plate 231 misnumbered 131), index at rear of each volume, volume 6 with Systematic, Stratigraphical, and Alphabetical Indexes to the First Six Volumes ... To which is added a Short Account of the Life of the Author (with separate title-page dated 1834) at rear, the stratigraphical indexes apparently each headed 'Supplementary Index' and bound separately into the relevant volumes, volume 2 with addenda leaf ('Additional Localities to Shells Described in Vols. I. and II', volumes 4-6 each with corrigenda leaf, volumes 5-6 without the 'Supplementary Index' or the 'Life of the Author' (these not found in other copies examined), spines sunned and marked, consistent light offsetting, occasional spotting (generally light), volume 1 pp. 45/6 with section reattached [Nissen ZBI 3917; Ward & Carozzi 2093] (6)
Footnote
Note: Sets of the first six volumes with all the plates as here are notably rare. A seventh volume, containing 39 plates and never completed, appeared much later, in 1846.
Provenance:
1) Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), Scottish-American industrialist and benefactor (bookplates).
2) Sir Alexander Stone (1907-1998), Scottish financier and benefactor.
