1945 · London
by SWANN, H.K.
London: Wheldon Wesley, 1945. FIRST EDITION. With 40 color plates from drawings by Henrik Grönvold (1 is a duplicate) and 17 sepia photogravures. Later green buckram with gilt lettering on spine. An excellent and very clean copy of this beautiful book from the library of Dr. James M. Dolan Jr., director of collections for the San Diego Zoological Society, with his blind-stamp. First edition of this preeminent work, limited to 412 copies, the only publication to document completely the diurnal birds of prey. A systematic treatment of every species and sub-species, this treatise provides the classification, characteristics, and distribution of birds such as vultures, condors, buzzards, hawks, eagles, and falcons, to name a few. The publication of this work was delayed for some time by the death of the author in 1926, after he had completed the first six parts. It was later taken up and finished by the esteemed ornithologist Alexander Wetmore (1886-1978), who served as Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian as well as of the Director of the Natural History Museum.
Swann (1871-1926), an English naturalist, was one of the partners in the publishing firm Wheldon and Wesley Ltd., and a corresponding fellow of the American Ornithologist's Union. He founded the Naturalist's Journal of which he was the editor for two years.
Grönvold (1858-1940), a Danish naturalist, was one of the great ornithological artists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He worked at the London Natural History Museum both as a taxidermist and an artist where became well known for his illustrations of birds and eggs. (Inventory #: 16277)
Swann (1871-1926), an English naturalist, was one of the partners in the publishing firm Wheldon and Wesley Ltd., and a corresponding fellow of the American Ornithologist's Union. He founded the Naturalist's Journal of which he was the editor for two years.
Grönvold (1858-1940), a Danish naturalist, was one of the great ornithological artists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He worked at the London Natural History Museum both as a taxidermist and an artist where became well known for his illustrations of birds and eggs. (Inventory #: 16277)