Chroicocephalus Philadelphia--Bonaparte's Gull from Birds of Great Britain

Item Details

Chroicocephalus Philadelphia--Bonaparte's Gull from Birds of Great Britain, John Gould, Taylor & Francis, London, 1862-1873. 15 x 21 3/4 inches. 

Single plate extracted from Gould's Birds of Great Britain, featuring a mature and immature Bonaparte's Gull. Very light toning to edges along with very light soiling and a couple pin-sized foxing marks. Botton edge rough where extracted from binding. Very good condition.

From John Gould's epic five volume "Birds of Great Britain" published over an eleven-year span (1862-1873) by subscription. Each of the 367 lithographs were hand-colored as described by Gould: "every sky with its varied tints and every feather of each bird were coloured by hand; and when it is considered that nearly two hundred and eighty thousand illustrations in the present work have been so treated, it will most likely cause some astonishment to those who give the subject a thought."

Looking at the print straight on, the colors appear slightly dull but at an angle the gum arabic utilized highlights the colors beautifully bringing the print to life.  This print portrays a breeding adult with prey alongside an immature Bonaparte's Gull.

Will ship flat.