Lot 14
Traill, George William
A Monograph of the Algae of the Firth of Forth
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs
Auction: 07 February 2024 from 10:00 GMT
Description
Illustrated with Herbarium Specimens of some of the Rare Species. Edinburgh: printed for the author by the Edinburgh Co-Operative Printing Company, Limited, 1885. 2 copies, both first and only editions, 4to (30.6 x 22.6cm), original cloth-backed printed boards, 16 [2] pp., each with mounted albumen-print photograph of the Lady's Tower, Elie and respectively containing 7 and 8 original algae specimens (on mounted slips, annotated), first copy inscribed 'Spencer C. Thomson Esq, with kind regards from the author' on front board (covers rubbed and darkened, shallow chipping to corners), second copy inscribed 'To the Royal Society of Edin[burgh] from the author', with ink-stamps of the Royal Society of Edinburgh to front board and title-page (front board with a few splash-marks to head and a little wear to corners)
(2)
Footnote
Uncommon: no other copies traced in auction records; Library Hub cites six copies in British and Irish institutional libraries. The algae specimens in each copy are from different species. The recipient of one of these copies, Spencer Campbell Thomson (1842-1931), was manager of the Standard Life Assurance Company, where the author, Traill, was employed as a clerk.