Folio Archives 255: A History of British Birds by Thomas Bewick 2010
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1wcarter
A History of British Birds by Thomas Bewick 2010
With 72 photos, this is one of the longest reviews I have done in this series, but it still does not do full justice to these superb volumes because within them there are more than 400 magnificently intricate and detailed engravings by someone who was one of the world’s best practitioners of this art – Thomas Bewick (1753-1828).
Written and engraved over many years, Land Birds was first published in 1797 followed by Water Birds in 1804. This was the first comprehensive illustrated catalogue of British birds ever published, and it was an outstanding success. The text of Land Birds was written with the assistance of Ralph Bielby, but Water Birds was both written and engraved by Bewick. A definitive amended edition was published in 1826, and it that edition which is reproduced by the Folio Society.
Every bird is accompanied by a description and an engraving, and there are dozens of charming vignettes that act as page fillers when required. Even the backgrounds of many bird engravings are extraordinarily detailed. It is an amazingly accomplished work.
The books have an introduction by Jenny Uglow and are quarter bound in dark blue leather with raised spine bands, gilt spine titles and light blue marbled paper boards. The endpapers are blue, and the page tops are stained blue. The dark blue slipcase (23.9x15.7cm.) has a front illustration and gilt title. Volume one has 382 pages and volume two has 432 pages.
VOLUME ONE – LAND BIRDS
VOLUME TWO – WATER BIRDS
Two other Folio Society books featuring engravings by John Bewick are featured in the Folio Archives series of reviews:-
My Life by Thomas Bewick 1981.
Bird Poems by John Clare 1980.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
With 72 photos, this is one of the longest reviews I have done in this series, but it still does not do full justice to these superb volumes because within them there are more than 400 magnificently intricate and detailed engravings by someone who was one of the world’s best practitioners of this art – Thomas Bewick (1753-1828).
Written and engraved over many years, Land Birds was first published in 1797 followed by Water Birds in 1804. This was the first comprehensive illustrated catalogue of British birds ever published, and it was an outstanding success. The text of Land Birds was written with the assistance of Ralph Bielby, but Water Birds was both written and engraved by Bewick. A definitive amended edition was published in 1826, and it that edition which is reproduced by the Folio Society.
Every bird is accompanied by a description and an engraving, and there are dozens of charming vignettes that act as page fillers when required. Even the backgrounds of many bird engravings are extraordinarily detailed. It is an amazingly accomplished work.
The books have an introduction by Jenny Uglow and are quarter bound in dark blue leather with raised spine bands, gilt spine titles and light blue marbled paper boards. The endpapers are blue, and the page tops are stained blue. The dark blue slipcase (23.9x15.7cm.) has a front illustration and gilt title. Volume one has 382 pages and volume two has 432 pages.
VOLUME ONE – LAND BIRDS
VOLUME TWO – WATER BIRDS
Two other Folio Society books featuring engravings by John Bewick are featured in the Folio Archives series of reviews:-
My Life by Thomas Bewick 1981.
Bird Poems by John Clare 1980.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
2bacchus.
I never thought a bird book would be of interest, but this could work nice as reference. Exquisite binding; thought it was a LE.
3terebinth
I wonder whether the binding leather varies. This copy looks indeed to be a dark blue, almost blue-black, whereas mine, though it's a greyish blue, is hardly dark blue at all -
https://pictures.abebooks.com/inventory/md/md31038044294.jpg
gives a close impression of it. The marbled boards seem much paler too on my volumes, with not a hint of black to them.
https://pictures.abebooks.com/inventory/md/md31038044294.jpg
gives a close impression of it. The marbled boards seem much paler too on my volumes, with not a hint of black to them.
4Son.of.York
>3 terebinth: My copy is like yours, more grey-blue than navy blue. Maybe this is just a question of white balance or colour correction in wcarter's photos?
This lovely production is one of my favourite Folios.
This was the first true birding field guide. As a birder I marvel at the excellence of its descriptions. The habitat of the Sparrow is described thus:
“In no country is the Sparrow found in desert places, or at a distance from the dwellings of man. It does not, like other birds, shelter itself in woods and forests, or seek its subsistence in uninhabited plains, but is a resident in towns and villages: it follows society, and lives at its expence (sic): granaries, barns, court-yards, pigeon-houses, and in short all places where grain is scattered, being its favourite resorts….The Sparrow never leaves us, but is familiar to the eye at all times, even in the most crowded and busy parts of town: they build under the eaves of houses, in the holes of walls, and often about churches.”
Modern field guides couldn't top that!
This lovely production is one of my favourite Folios.
This was the first true birding field guide. As a birder I marvel at the excellence of its descriptions. The habitat of the Sparrow is described thus:
“In no country is the Sparrow found in desert places, or at a distance from the dwellings of man. It does not, like other birds, shelter itself in woods and forests, or seek its subsistence in uninhabited plains, but is a resident in towns and villages: it follows society, and lives at its expence (sic): granaries, barns, court-yards, pigeon-houses, and in short all places where grain is scattered, being its favourite resorts….The Sparrow never leaves us, but is familiar to the eye at all times, even in the most crowded and busy parts of town: they build under the eaves of houses, in the holes of walls, and often about churches.”
Modern field guides couldn't top that!
5wcarter
>3 terebinth: >4 Son.of.York:
My copy is definitely a dark blue, darker than the one in the photo by >3 terebinth:.
Possibly due to different batches of leather?
My copy is definitely a dark blue, darker than the one in the photo by >3 terebinth:.
Possibly due to different batches of leather?
6terebinth
>5 wcarter: Possibly due to different batches of leather?
Has to be, I think: your volumes don't have the look of books that have darkened over time. I ordered my set within days of its announcement, I'm not at all a birdwatcher but I often enough pause in my wanderings to watch a bird. I paused quite a while just two evenings ago to watch a murmuration of starlings, on a scale far beyond any I'd seen before, I would guess some twenty thousand birds. Fascinating to see the movements, divisions and recombinings of the flock, and to hear the collective beating of their wings from perhaps 60 or 80 feet below.
Has to be, I think: your volumes don't have the look of books that have darkened over time. I ordered my set within days of its announcement, I'm not at all a birdwatcher but I often enough pause in my wanderings to watch a bird. I paused quite a while just two evenings ago to watch a murmuration of starlings, on a scale far beyond any I'd seen before, I would guess some twenty thousand birds. Fascinating to see the movements, divisions and recombinings of the flock, and to hear the collective beating of their wings from perhaps 60 or 80 feet below.
7affle
>5 wcarter:
That may be the explanation, but there's a marked difference of slipcase, too. My copy is pale, like Paul's, and the slipcase is a very good colour match for it. But so is your dark slipcase, for the darker set. How odd. My already high opinion of this set would be increased if the FS had changed the slipcase colour and the marbled paper to match a batch of leather - or perhaps the credit should go to the much lamented binders, Lachenmaier.
Lovely review, Warwick - you've done an excellent job on the engravings.
That may be the explanation, but there's a marked difference of slipcase, too. My copy is pale, like Paul's, and the slipcase is a very good colour match for it. But so is your dark slipcase, for the darker set. How odd. My already high opinion of this set would be increased if the FS had changed the slipcase colour and the marbled paper to match a batch of leather - or perhaps the credit should go to the much lamented binders, Lachenmaier.
Lovely review, Warwick - you've done an excellent job on the engravings.
8Willoyd
My all-time favourite FS production. Not a lot else I can say. I love the old-style names used!
9boldface
My set is also an example of the lighter-coloured leather and paler marbling. This seems to be the pattern here but I wonder what the actual proportions were of each style as issued.
10cwl
Just looked at my set last night - different lighting and it certainly looked a shade darker than in bright sunlight. I do think this is nothing more than colour balance in the photos and/or screen display variation. I’ve seen multiple copies of this and all look the same. True colour is notoriously difficult to get correct in photos as there are so many variables, unless someone has two different colour copies and can do a side-by-side shot to compare?
11lgreen666
>8 Willoyd: I agree... better than any of their LEs I have... a wonderful book in every respect
12Son.of.York
I read-up on colour correction but it sounded too complicated for me. Instead, here's a selection of grey-blue to navy blue volumes that some of you might have on hand.
My Bewick is closest in colour to the LE Bible, but my impression is that the darker version is more in Bronte country. (Appropriate, since Jane Eyre mentions Bewick twice.)
My Bewick is closest in colour to the LE Bible, but my impression is that the darker version is more in Bronte country. (Appropriate, since Jane Eyre mentions Bewick twice.)
13ironjaw
>12 Son.of.York: what a beautiful sight. I’ve been on the fence on Michael Wood’s In Search of the Dark Ages as I’m not sure if I can justify the cost but it does look appealing. Also it’s nice to see some Everyman’s Library books. I collect them too sans dust jackets (don’t know what to do with them or where to put them)
14ranbarnes
Odd how this never seemed to make a prospectus, unless I am missing something. Does anyone know what the price was when new?
15terebinth
I think it was £120. Certainly made it into a sale or two as well...
(Edit) From a little digging, it was on offer for £80 in the 2013 Spring sale, down from £135. I'm not sure whether the standard price had climbed to that or been £135 all along.
(Edit) From a little digging, it was on offer for £80 in the 2013 Spring sale, down from £135. I'm not sure whether the standard price had climbed to that or been £135 all along.
16bookfair_e
As I recall - the Bewick set featured in various free or deeply discounted offers over two or three years - for both new members and renewing members.
17affle
>15 terebinth:
From my records, I see I bought on offer in the spring of 2010 for £96, down from £120.
From my records, I see I bought on offer in the spring of 2010 for £96, down from £120.
19Son.of.York
>18 ironjaw: This morning I looked for it in prospectuses, in the very helpful indexes on our wiki page, in order to check the shade of blue, but I could not find it.
20ironjaw
>19 Son.of.York: Thanks. I’m sure some learned member will inform us sooner or later.
21folio_books
>19 Son.of.York:
Yes, I checked the prospectus indices. No sign there, either. Which presumably means it was a one-off. They usually are released with some kind of a flyer, but no luck trawling through them either. so far. Very curious. Thing is, most of the prospectuses and flyers on the Wiki are scans from my own collection, so that would mean I've never had it, and the book was published comparatively recently (2010) My stuff goes all the way back to the early fifties.
Yes, I checked the prospectus indices. No sign there, either. Which presumably means it was a one-off. They usually are released with some kind of a flyer, but no luck trawling through them either. so far. Very curious. Thing is, most of the prospectuses and flyers on the Wiki are scans from my own collection, so that would mean I've never had it, and the book was published comparatively recently (2010) My stuff goes all the way back to the early fifties.
22terebinth
Quite a little mystery. Colour balance and display issues would seem to offer the best explanation, except I can't think Warwick would refer to the leather as dark blue if he were seeing what most of us have seen -
https://www.hcbooksonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/26847.jpg
is another good likeness on my screen, and no part of the marbling on my volumes is anywhere close to black.
Here's the Wayback Machine's result for the work in June 30th 2013, when it was out of print but still displaying its final selling price of $250:
https://web.archive.org/web/20130630184345/http://www.foliosociety.com/book/HBB/...
https://www.hcbooksonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/26847.jpg
is another good likeness on my screen, and no part of the marbling on my volumes is anywhere close to black.
Here's the Wayback Machine's result for the work in June 30th 2013, when it was out of print but still displaying its final selling price of $250:
https://web.archive.org/web/20130630184345/http://www.foliosociety.com/book/HBB/...
24wcarter
>22 terebinth:
I think >22 terebinth: is right and colour balance is responsible for the difference. My copy, when held against the screen, is lighter than my photos but darker than the one posted in >3 terebinth:.
Colours can vary slightly with cameras and screens.
I think >22 terebinth: is right and colour balance is responsible for the difference. My copy, when held against the screen, is lighter than my photos but darker than the one posted in >3 terebinth:.
Colours can vary slightly with cameras and screens.
25ironjaw
>22 terebinth: That wayback machine is resourceful, Paul. Thank you very much. Hopefully, I will win the auction on a set and can enjoy these books as much all of you.
26emgcat
What a fantastic set of books. Thank you Warwick, for sharing such a wonderful review with so many photos included.
I chanced upon the Bird Poems by John Clare and it is a delighful book, if anyone else needs some encouragement to purchase it.
I chanced upon the Bird Poems by John Clare and it is a delighful book, if anyone else needs some encouragement to purchase it.
27ironjaw
>26 emgcat: I’m bidding on one now and hoping to win the Bird Poems. Seems like a lovely book and I’m a sucker for woodcuts
28folio_books
British Birds on eBay UK. ending Wednesday:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363704676189?hash=item54ae7cef5d:g:oDIAAOSwn9hh8VEc
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363704676189?hash=item54ae7cef5d:g:oDIAAOSwn9hh8VEc
29antinous_in_london
>28 folio_books: In sealed or fine condition these usually sell for around £35 - £40 on eBay. Today, only a few days after this post, a copy sold for £83 - coincidence ? Haha
30assemblyman
>29 antinous_in_london: A couple more sold on Abebooks after the post :).
31jfkf
>30 assemblyman: I bought one on Abebooks from a UK bookstore and was happy to pay $80.00 US, the binding alone is worth that. Wish Folio would get back to the more traditional styles of bookbinding and leave the picturesque bindings to the Easton Press. I would love to see them do Blood Meridian in a 3/4 oxblood leather with hand marbled boards, illustrated with paintings of western landscapes like the Dali that appeared on the first US edition. Since I am dreaming, I will add period maps for endpapers and marbled page ends.
32ironjaw
>29 antinous_in_london: yup that’s the one I lost sadly.
33antinous_in_london
>32 ironjaw: Ouch. Someone was eager at £83 ! At least they appear quite regularly so there should be other chances when things die down (as i’m assuming the copy mentioned above will also attract similar attention!)
34ironjaw
>33 antinous_in_london: understandable but yes I was too shocked at the price. It usually goes for around £40ish as stated above. Oh well. I’m patient and will pick up a copy at the right price. But I’m afraid these posts do create a sort of consequence as evidenced by the recent eBay result. Good luck to the individual whom purchased a beautiful copy and for the seller that received a well deserved second hand price.
35ubiquitousuk
Yes, I will wait for the market to get over the shock of >1 wcarter:'s post, but then I too plan to pick up a copy.
I'm not super interested in birds, but Bewick is essentially the reason we have books with wood engravings in them so this will be a nice book to put alongside some of those private press books of engravings.
I'm not super interested in birds, but Bewick is essentially the reason we have books with wood engravings in them so this will be a nice book to put alongside some of those private press books of engravings.
