ID 993253
Lot 223 | MOSLEY, Seth Lister (1848-1929)
Estimate value
£ 2 000 – 3 000
Illustrations of Varieties of British Lepidoptera. Huddersfield: [1878-1885].
Extremely rare work on British lepidoptera illustrated with original watercolours. It was issued in 14 parts but because of its irregular publication, it is seldom found complete. As Mosley explains in the preface it was his original intention that all the plates would be drawn and coloured by hand. 'The advantage of this will be – I can regulate the supply according to the demand, without going into a lot of expense in lithographing them ... The parts will be issued occasionally, as I am able to complete them'. It would appear, however, that as the work progressed he was compelled to resort to lithography. It's possible that the inscription inpart 1 might belong to Samuel Denton Bairstow (1854-1898). He was born in Hudderfield, before leaving for South Africa in 1880. There, Bairstow was a wool merchant, but was a serious and active amateur natural historian in his spare time. He had a special interest in entomology, already contributing to Miss E.A. Ormerod's Observations on injurious insects before his emigration. In the 1890s, Bairstow became consulting entomologist to the Department of Agriculture of the Cape Colony, and published on entomological subjects in the Agricultural Journal of the Cape Colony. Nissen ZBI 2901; Freeman British Natural History Books 2699.
7 parts (only, of 14), octavo (270 x 180mm). 39 (of 73) plates, the majority original watercolours, but some lithographed and coloured by hand, each with printed leaf of description, first part with leaf of preface (without title, perhaps as issued, some faint spotting mainly confined to tissue guards). Original orange and purple wrappers (worn, with defective spines and some stitching and wrappers loose, some slight chipping and fraying). Provenance: S.D. Bairstow (presentation inscription on inside front wrapper of part 1 to unknown recipient dated 25 November 1879).
Special notice
This lot is offered without reserve. No VAT is payable on the hammer price or the buyer's premium for this lot. Please see the VAT Symbols and Explanation section of the Conditions of Sale for further information
Artist: | Seth Lister Mosley (1847 - 1929) |
---|---|
Place of origin: | Northern Europe, Europe, United Kingdom |
Auction house category: | Printed books |
Artist: | Seth Lister Mosley (1847 - 1929) |
---|---|
Place of origin: | Northern Europe, Europe, United Kingdom |
Auction house category: | Printed books |
Address of auction |
CHRISTIE'S 8 King Street, St. James's SW1Y 6QT London United Kingdom | |
---|---|---|
Preview |
| |
Phone | +44 (0)20 7839 9060 | |
Buyer Premium | see on Website | |
Conditions of purchase | Conditions of purchase |
More from Creator
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.