John Gould | A monograph of the trochilidae, or… humming-birds [with supplement]. London, 1849–1887, 6 volumes - photo 1
John Gould | A monograph of the trochilidae, or… humming-birds [with supplement]. London, 1849–1887, 6 volumes - photo 2
John Gould | A monograph of the trochilidae, or… humming-birds [with supplement]. London, 1849–1887, 6 volumes - photo 3
John Gould | A monograph of the trochilidae, or… humming-birds [with supplement]. London, 1849–1887, 6 volumes - photo 4
John Gould | A monograph of the trochilidae, or… humming-birds [with supplement]. London, 1849–1887, 6 volumes - photo 5
John Gould | A monograph of the trochilidae, or… humming-birds [with supplement]. London, 1849–1887, 6 volumes - photo 6

John Gould | A monograph of the trochilidae, or… humming-birds [with supplement]. London, 1849–1887, 6 volumes

Lot 38
28.11.2023 14:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 76 200
AuctioneerSotheby´s
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1076561
Lot 38 | John Gould | A monograph of the trochilidae, or… humming-birds [with supplement]. London, 1849–1887, 6 volumes
Estimate value
£ 70 000 – 100 000
John Gould

A monograph of the trochilidae, or family of humming-birds [with] supplement… completed after the author’s death by R. Bowdler Sharpe. London: Printed by Taylor & Francis and published by the author; Henry Sotheran & Co., 1849-61; 1880-87

FIRST EDITION, 6 volumes, folio (560 x 370mm.), 418 FINE HAND-COLOURED LITHOGRAPHED PLATES, many heightened with gold leaf and metallic paints, contemporary green morocco gilt

A FINE COPY, clean, fresh, and bright internally, with VIVID IRIDESCENT COLOURS, of Sitwell calls an “incomparable catalogue and compendium of beauties” that is Gould’s “masterpiece, and must ever remain a feast of beauty and a source of wonder.”

Hummingbirds were the favourite avian subject of British ornithologist John Gould (1804-1881), who admits in the preface here to daydreaming about the species and being carried away “to their native forests in the distant country of America” in his dreams at night. A trained taxidermist who server as the official “bird-stuffer” of the Zoological Society, Gould accumulated a personal collection of 1,500 mounted specimens of hummingbirds which he displayed at the 1851 Great Exhibition at the Zoological Gardens in Regent’s Park. There, they were viewed by more than 80,000 visitors, including Queen Victoria, who was enchanted, and wrote in her diary, “It is impossible to imagine anything so lovely as these little Humming Birds, their variety, and the extraordinary brilliance of their colours.”

These same specimens provided models for the larger-than-life-size images in the present work, their magnificence captured in vivid colours, and their “brilliant natural iridescence… portrayed by the application of gold leaf.” Sitwell notes that “a new technical process, which was the result of long experiment, had to be invented in order to portray their metallic plumage”.

Gould had begun work on the supplement describing the hummingbirds that had been discovered since his monograph first appeared in the 1870s, and had completed most of the drawing for the plates before his death in 1881. Gould’s fellow ornithologist and long-time collaborator Richard Bowdler Sharpe (1847-1909) of the British Museum zoology department stepped in to complete the work. He wrote the text, and brought in William Matthew Hart (1830-1908), who had been doing hand colouring for Gould since 1851, to complete the plates.
Address of auction Sotheby´s
34-35 New Bond Street
W1A 2AA London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.11.2023
Phone +44 (0) 20 7293 5000
Phone +1 212 606 7000
Email
4FQ.AE2YUKFA@AYGLGHC3Y@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

More from Creator

John Gould | The birds of Great Britain. London, 1862 1873, 5 volumes, one of the greatest works of British ornithology
John Gould | The birds of Great Britain. London, 1862 1873, 5 volumes, one of the greatest works of British ornithology
£35 000
The Birds of Great Britain, London, 1862-1873, 5 volumes, contemporary green morocco gilt
The Birds of Great Britain, London, 1862-1873, 5 volumes, contemporary green morocco gilt
£30 000
A Monograph of the Trogonidae, [1836-] 1838, first edition, nineteenth-century green morocco gilt
A Monograph of the Trogonidae, [1836-] 1838, first edition, nineteenth-century green morocco gilt
£10 000
A Monograph of the Trochilidae or Family of Humming-Birds, London, 1849-87, 6 vols, green morocco gilt
A Monograph of the Trochilidae or Family of Humming-Birds, London, 1849-87, 6 vols, green morocco gilt
£70 000

Related terms

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.
?>