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Bird, Art, British, Elliot, Spruce Grouse, Antique Print, London, 1864

$650

Daniel Giraud Elliot (1835-1915)
Spruce Grouse Canace Canadensis, Adult and Young
from A Monograph of the Tetraoninae, or Family of the Grouse
Daniel Giraud Elliot, New York, [1864-]1865
Bowen & Co., Philadelphia (lithographers and colorists)
Hand-colored lithograph
17.75 x 23 inches, overall
$650

“Next only to Audubon’s, the Elliot works are the most valuable American bird plates” (Bennett).

A natural history ornithology print of a male and a female Canada Spruce Grouse, illustrated in profile tending to their chicks which are pecking at the ground. The male is perched on a fence with one leg in the air. The birds are colored in grey and brown with hints of blue on their backs and red around their eyes. The chicks are of a light yellow hue. In the background, spruce trees and a lake are colored in a soft evening light. The Spruce Grouse was at the time a popular game bird for sport hunting, but it is now an endangered species and in many states is no longer legal to hunt.

Product description continues below.

Description

This print is from the second of Elliot’s great folio monographs, dealing with 25 species of grouse. In the preface to the set, Elliot stated: “In choosing a family of birds for a second Monograph, I was induced to make a selection of the Tetraoninae, not only on account of their varied forms and interesting habits, but also for the important part they bear toward man’s comfort and happiness.”

All of the plates are derived from Elliot’s own drawings except the Kunalee Grouse, which in part is also based on the drawings of natural history artist Joseph Wolf. The lithographic work was executed by Bowen & Co., the Philadelphia publishers of the octavo edition of Audubon’s Birds of America. They were among the very best American lithographic printers in this period. Elliot’s grouse monograph is one of only three works by Elliot produced in the United States. Nonetheless although his later works were printed in Europe, some retained a New York imprint.

Daniel Giraud Elliot (1835–1915) was distinguished American ornithologist, zoologist, and author renowned for his contributions to the study and documentation of avian species. A founding member of the American Ornithologists’ Union, Elliot authored several influential works. He used his independent wealth to produce lavishly illustrated monographs on exotic birds such as The Monograph of the Phasianidae, A Monograph of the Paradiseidae, and A Monograph of the Tetraoninae. His meticulous descriptions and artistic collaborations with prominent illustrators of the time, like Joseph Wolf, advanced the understanding and appreciation of ornithological diversity. The costly production of such works made them popular among affluent individuals and institutions. Additionally, Elliot also served as curator of zoology at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, where he continued to advocate for the preservation of wildlife and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. His legacy endures as a pioneer in ornithological literature and natural history.

Condition: Generally very good, recently professionally cleaned and deacidified, with light remaining overall toning, handling, wear.

References

Anker, Jean. Bird Books and Bird Art. 1938. New York: Martino, 1990. p. 128.

Bennett, Whitman. A Practical Guide To American Book Collecting (1663-1940). Bennett Book Studios, New York, 1941. P 19.

Sitwell, Sacheverell. Fine Bird Books, 1700-1900. New York: The Atlantic Monthly Press, 1990. P. 74.

Nissen, Claus. Die Illustrierten Vogelbucher: ihre Geschichte und Bibliographie. Stuttgart:1976. P. 293.

Wood, Casey A. (ed.) An Introduction to the Literature of Vertebrate Zoology Based Chiefly on the Titles in the Blacker Library of Zoology, the Emma Shearer Wood Library of Ornithology, the Bibliotheca Osleriana, and Other Libraries of McGill University, Montreal. London: Humphry Milford, Oxford University Press, 1931. P. 331.

Zimmer, John Todd. Catalogue of the Edward E. Ayer Ornithological Library. Zoological Series, Publ. 205, Vol. 16. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, 1926.

Additional information

Century

19th Century