ALEXANDER WILSON (1766-1813)
Alexander Wilson, known as the “Father of American Ornithology, and the first to seriously study and draw America’s birds, added 39 species to those previously known in this young country. A native of Scotland, he settled in the Philadelphia area, then the intellectual and cultural center of the United States, in 1794. Wilson trained himself to draw and traveled the then settled country – east of the Mississippi – to find and study the birds of his adopted nation. His bird drawings, often grouped together in quaint plates, achieve a pleasing effect and have attracted the astute collector even in competition with Audubon’s life-size and dramatic images. These excellent copper plate engravings have risen in demand and grown scarce in just the last decade. This quality of bird art will never be duplicated.
Wilson’s AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY began publication in 1808 and was completed in 1814, one year after his death. The first significant color plate book published in the U. S., Wilson’s work contributed greatly to the study of ornithology. For the first time we are able to offer plates from the First Edition of Wilson's important work. For the American natural history print collector these prints fill the gap between Mark Catesby and John J. Audubon. They are charming drawings, nearly 200 years old. Six plates were sold by the former owner. The condition is generally excellent, with beautiful hand-coloring. The original descriptive text by Wilson accompanies each print! They measure about 11 x 14 inches, up or down, depending on the cut by the bookbinder. Where condition is an issue, it is factored into the price. This would usually be light foxing. Also, those in restoration are marked with an "R". Enjoy!
PLATE
3 Gold-winged Woodpecker, Black-throated Bunting and Blue Bird $950
4 Orchard Oriole $625
5 Great American Shrike, Pine Grosbeak, Ruby-crowned Wren and Shore Lark $550
7 Cedar Bird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Flycatcher and Purple Finch $650
12 Rice Bunting, Red-eyed Flycatcher, Marsh Wren, Great Carolina Wren and Yellow-throat Warbler $550
13 Tyrant, Great-crested, Small green and PeeWee Flycatchers $700
14 Brown Thrush, Golden-crowned Thrush, Cat Bird, Baybreasted Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler and Mourning Warbler $900
15 Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown Nuthatch, Pigeon Hawk, three Warblers $65016 American Sparrow Hawk, Field Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Snow Bird $1200
17 American Siskin, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Green black-throated Warbler, Yellow rump Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Solitary Flycatcher $750
18 Cow Bunting, Maryland Yellow throat, Blue grey Flycatcher, White-eyed Flycatcher $250
21 Canada Jay, Snow Bunting, Rusty Grackle and Purple Grackle $450
22 Swamp sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Fox-colored Sparrow, Loggerhead Shrike $450
23 Belted Kingfisher, Black and yellow Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Autumnal Warbler, Water Thrush $1500
25 Mississippi Kite, Tennessee Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Prairie Warbler $850
27 Pinneated Grouse, Blue green Warbler, Nashville Warbler $800
28 Carolina or Yellow-bill and Black-bill Cuckoos, two Warblers. $650
29 Ivory-bill, Red-headed and Pileated Woodpeckers (paper aged, new color?) $650
30 Red-winged Starling, Black-poll Warbler, Lesser Red-poll $750
32 Snowy Owl, Sparrow Hawk $1,650
33 Rough-legged Falcon, Barred Owl, Short-eared Owl $450
34 Little Owl (Saw-whet Owl), Seaside Finch, Sharp-tailed Finch, Savannah Finch $550
35 Winter Falcon, Magpie and Crow $550
38 Barn Swallow, White-bellied Swallow, Bank Swallow - matted. $450
41 Whip-poor-will $550
42 Red Owl (Screech Owl), Warbling Flycatcher, Purple Finch, Brown Lark $650
46 Slate-colored (Sharp-shinned) Hawk and Ground Dove - Foxed $450
53 Hawks and Orioles $750
56 Eskimo Curlew, Red-backed Snipe, Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Marbled Godwit. $650
57 Turnstone, Ash-colored Sandpiper, The Purre, Black-bellied Plover, Red-breasted Sandpiper (foxed) $450
59 Spotted and Upland Sandpipers; Ring, Golden and Kildeer Plovers. $350
64 Louisiana Heron, Pied Oyster catcher, Whooping Crane, Long billed Curlew $2100
65 Yellow-crown Heron, Great Blue Heron, American and Least Bittern (foxed). $850
66 Wood Ibis, Scarlet Ibis, Flamingo, White Ibis $2500
67 Canada Goose; Buffeted, Golden, Tufted and Shoveller Ducks (foxed). $650
68 Snow Goose, Gossander, Pintail and Blue Wing Ducks (foxed) $550
69 Skimmer, three Terns, Storm Petrel (foxed). $350
70 Long-tailed, Summer, Canvas-back, Red-headed Ducks; Green Teal; Mallard $2100
71 Gadwall Duck, Eider Duck, Smew, Ruddy Duck $900
73 Coot, Purple Gallinule, Gray Phalarope, Red Phalarope, Wilson’s Plover (matted). $350
74 Black-bellied Darter, Great Northern Diver, Black-headed Gull, Little Auk $1400
75 Turkey Buzzard, Black Vulture, Raven $400
76 Great-Footed Hawk $1800
ALEXANDER WILSON OCTAVOS
These prints are taken from the 1832 octavo edition of Alexander Wilson's AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. They are approximately 6 x 8 inches, hand-colored copper plate engravings. These original prints have not been generally offered in the print market, but the rising prices of the Wilson folios opens an interest in these smaller images which are much less expensive. Prices range from $35 to $350 for the top images. A group of four makes an excellent presentation. About 90 percent of those listed in the First Edition are available in this smaller edition. A sampling follows:
Plate 4 - Orchard Oriole (French Mat) $250
Plate 4 - Great Crow Blackbird (continuation - drawn by Audubon). $200
Plate 15 - Stellers Jay and Longspur. $75
Plate 20 -Louisiana Tanager, Clark's Crow and Lewis's Woodpecker. Some foxing. (matted). $150
Plate 25 - Mississippi Kite, Warblers (matted). $150
Plate 26 - Carolina Parrot, Canada, Hooded and Black-cap Flycatcher, later edition (matted). $150
Plate 27 - Pinnated Grouse, two Warblers (matted). $50
Plate 44 - Passenger Pigeon and two Warblers. $150
Plate 52 - Snowy Owl. $250
Plate 65 - Great Blue Heron, Yellow-crown Heron, Bitterns. $200
Plate 66 - Flamingo, Wood and Scarlet Ibis. $100
Plate 70 - Mallard, Wood, Canvas-back, Red-head Ducks. $150
Plate 76 - Great-footed Hawk. $150
(Note: Others in inventory but not listed.)