The Quadrupeds of North America [Three Volume Set]

New-York: V.G. Audubon, 1856. Very Good. New-York: V.G. Audubon, 1856. Second Edition. Three volumes; large octavos (27.5cm); publisher's full blind-tooled brown morocco, gilt-lettered spines in six compartments, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers; a hundred and fifty-five (155) hand-colored plates lithographed by J.T. Bowen, collated complete. Leather a bit scuffed and scratched, especially along spines, some rubbing to joints, spines uniformly darkened, scattered foxing to textblocks and plates, else a Very Good set. Contemporary ownership ex libris of R.E. Carr to front pastedowns of Vols II and III.

Splendid example of the late collaboration between American ornithologist John James Audubon (1785-1851) and his friend and associate the Reverend John Bachman (1790-1874)--indeed, Audubon's two sons were married to Bachman's two daughters. Though Audubon, already a cause célèbre for his monumental "Birds of America" was awarded lead billing on the title page, Bachman wrote and edited the majority of the text.