A manuscript field guide based on Wilson`s Ornithology - photo 1

A manuscript field guide based on Wilson`s Ornithology

Sold
$ 12 600
Auction dateClassic
26.05.2022 10:00UTC -04:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
USA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 752956
Lot 134 | A manuscript field guide based on Wilson's Ornithology
A manuscript field guide based on Wilson's OrnithologyFor David Bailie Warden (1772-1845)WARDEN, David Bailie (1772-1845), owner. Manuscript in an unidentified hand, "A list, and short description of the birds of the United States according to Wilson's American Ornithology," n.p., n.d. Octavo (206 x 150mm) consisting of 356 numbered pages with the occasional additional leaf affixed to the top or bottom margin of page (toned at fore edge). Contemporary plain paper boards (spine cracked). Red half morocco slipcase. A manuscript digest of Alexander Wilson's magnum opus. A curious manuscript detailing the first seventeen plates of Alexander Wilson's American Ornithology. While the notes copy the scientific ones that begin each of Wilson's entries, nearly verbatim, the scribe has copied only the basic physical attributes, notes on habitat, migration and rarity. This gargantuan effort, covering over 350 pages of manuscript, covers large portion of Wilson's work and while many of the entries are found in the order found in Wilson’s volumes, the sequence becomes somewhat jumbled toward the middle and end of the book. The overall brevity of the entries suggest that the manuscript was an effort to produce a more portable book for identifying birds in the field. On the manuscript title page, a subsequent owner has identified the manuscript as "by D. B. Warden Esq. Late Consul for the United Sates at Paris (not printed). However, the handwriting is not Warden's but most likely by a secretary. The James Madison Papers at the Library of Congress holds a letter signed by Warden written to Madison enclosing a copy of a letter from Matilda Tone, and the body of the text of both letters appears to match the handwriting in this manuscript volume (see David Bailie Warden to Paul Hamilton, 18 January 1812: https://www.loc.gov/resource/mjm.13_0835_0837 & a fair copy of Matilda Tone to David Bailie Warden, 8 January 1812: https://www.loc.gov/resource/mjm.13_0830_0834).
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
26.05.2022 – 26.05.2022
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 17:00   
Tu 09:30 – 17:00   
We 09:30 – 17:00   
Th 09:30 – 17:00   
Fr 09:30 – 17:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.