1846. · London
by Westwood, J[ohn] O[badiah]
London: Wm. Smith, 1846.. [4],[5]-8pp. plus extra illuminated color title and 39 additional chromolithographed plates, with accompanying text leaves and tissue guards. Large quarto (33 x 26 cm). Contemporary three quarter calf, neatly rebacked in cloth with the original backstrip laid down and new endsheets, a.e.g. Extremities somewhat shelf- worn, occasional typical slight tanning and some isolated foxing to some of the text leaves, a small spot to half-title and first guard has left a faint shadow at the lower corner of the pictorial title, slight cracking at gutter between a few plates and their text leaves, otherwise a very good copy. First edition of this ambitious (and popular) work, featuring color-printed plates reproducing examples from some twenty-five manuscripts from the BM, Oxford, Trinity and other locations. The text and plates were printed by Bradbury and Evans. Westwood (1805 - 1893) published several works in the field featuring then near state-of-the-art color printed facsimiles from manuscripts, but he was also a well-known entomologist, serving in 1834 as the secretary for the newly founded Entomological Society of London. OCLC: 719584.
(Inventory #: WRCLIT87916)