Houghton - British Fresh-Water Fishes - 1879

One of the most beautiful and impressive illustrated fish books of the Victorian era – a magnificent folio work that combines natural history and book art at the highest level. First edition. Publisher: London, Edinburgh and Dublin, William Mackenzie, 1879. XXVI + 204 pages, restored half-leather binding of the period, tinted paper endsheets, FOLIO 37 x 28 cm. The rare first issue ranks among the most significant and at the same time most beautiful works on Britain’s freshwater fishes. William Houghton fuses scientific accuracy with an exceptionally representative apparatus. The centerpiece of the work are the 41 large-format, finely colored plates after drawings by Alexander Francis Lydon, which are among the most successful natural history illustrations of their time. Each fish species is not only depicted true to life but presented in an atmospheric landscape composition. The color plates are complemented by numerous romantic views of British rivers, lakes, and mountainous landscapes, so that the work goes far beyond a scientific manual and likewise impresses as an outstanding art book of Victorian natural printing. Immediately after its appearance, the work was praised for the extraordinary quality of its illustrations and its high scientific standard. To this day it ranks among the most sought-after English fish books of the 19th century and occupies a prominent position within illustrated natural history. Binding rubbed, text occasionally a bit foxed; the colored plates mostly clean and well preserved. Inner joints reinforced with fabric strips. Overall, a decorative and well-preserved exemplar of this sought-after splendor.

Estimation:€850

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