Daniel Giraud Elliot | A monograph of the bucerotidae, or family of the hornbills. New York, [1876]-1882, fine plates by Keulemans

Lot 32
28.11.2023 14:00UTC +00:00
Classic
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£ 12 065
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Lieu de l'événementRoyaume-Uni, London
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ID 1073321
Lot 32 | Daniel Giraud Elliot | A monograph of the bucerotidae, or family of the hornbills. New York, [1876]-1882, fine plates by Keulemans
Valeur estimée
£ 8 000 – 12 000
Daniel Giraud Elliot

A monograph of the bucerotidae, or family of the hornbills. New York: Published by the author for subscribers, [1876]-1882

FIRST EDITION, folio (393 x 285 mm.), 7 black-and-white illustrations in the text, 3 plain plates by J. Smit, 57 STRIKING HAND-COLOURED LITHOGRAPHED PLATES BY J. G. KEULEMANS, contemporary maroon half morocco over red pebbled buckram, without the instructions to the binder, a few marginal tears, some minor offsetting, joints and extremities somewhat rubbed, buckram rather soiled

With beautiful illustrations by one of the most talented bird painters of the period, this is a fine copy of what Zimmer calls a “comprehensive treatment of the entire family of hornbills.” As the name of the species suggests, the hornbills’ most notable characteristic is their long, curving bill, which are often colourful and display distinctively shaped protrusions called “casques” along the upper ridge of the beak. This feature makes them some of the most striking and memorable birds in the animal kingdom. In his introduction to the present work, Elliot explains that it was this “very peculiar appearance” that drew him to the Bucerotidae, and he was motivated to produce this monograph because only “generally meagre” and hard-to-find accounts of the species existed.

The work was originally issued in 10 parts, and although plate no. 44 (Godwin-Austin’s Hornbill) is included in the list of plates, it was never produced because there was “no specimen obtainable.” The remaining 57 hand-coloured illustrations were provided by the popular natural history artist John Gerrard Keulemans (1842-1912). A keen observer with a penchant for accuracy Keulemans was a favourite among late-nineteenth-century naturalists.

Daniel Giraud Elliot (1835-1915) had a love and appreciation for nature that led him to pursue a career in natural history from an early age. According to ANB, “of his generation of prominent American naturalists, Elliot had travelled most widely outside the United States”, spending time in the West Indies, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt, Palestine, Ethiopia, Somalia, India, China, Japan, and Europe, among other places, where he studied the regional avifauna and collected specimens. In addition to his ornithological works (which include several monographs and a work on North American bird species), Elliot also studied mammals, particularly primates, and was awarded the role of curator of zoology at the Field Columbian Museum in Chicago in 1894.
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