AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY; OR, THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES: ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES Engraved and Colored from Original Drawings taken from Nature
DateMarch 1, 1813
Maker
Alexander Wilson
(1766-1813)
Publisher
Bradford & Inskeep
Printer
Robert and William Carr
MediumBlack and white line engravings colored by hand, text pages, bound with leather spines and marbleized boards
Dimensions11" (h) X 14" (h) X 3/4"
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number2018-147,7
DescriptionAmerican Ornitohlogy; or the Natural History of the Birds of the United States by Alexander Wilson and Charles Lucian Bonaparte published by Bradford & Innskeep, 1808-1814 (10 total volumes)American Ornithology; or, the Natural History of Birds inhabiting the United States, not given by Wilson by Charles Lucian Bonaparte; 1825-1833 (4 volumes)
Label Text2018-147, 7- Volume 7
Contains a Title page, Preface, an Index to the seventh volume, and
nine plates illustrating 38 species accompanied by text for each. For each bird, Wilson cited publications in which they had been previously illustrated.
Plate LV
Ring-Tail Eagle
Sea Eagle
Plate LVI
Esquimaux Curlew
Red-Backed Sandpiper
Semi-Palmated Snipe
Great Marbled Godwit (female)
Plate LVII
Turn-Stone
Ash-Colored Sandpiper
The Purre
Black-Bellied Plover
Red-Breasted Sandpiper
Plate LVIII
Red-Breasted Snipe
Long-Legged Avoset
Solitary Sandpiper
Yellow-Shanks Snipe
Tell-Tale Godwit, or Snipe
Plate LIX
Spotted Sandpiper
Bartram's Sandpiper
Ring Plover
Sanderling Plover
Golden Plover
Kildeer Plover
Plate LX
Great Tern
Lesser Tern
Short-Tailed Tern
Black Skimmer, or Sheerwater
Stormy Petrel
Plate LXI
Green Heron
Night Heron, or Qua-Bird
Great White Heron
Plate LXII
Virginia Rail
Clapper Rail
Blue Crain, or Heron
Snowy Heron
Plate LXIII
Roseate Spoonbill
American Avoset
Ruddy Plover
InscribedInscription on the inside of the front board "John Lord"
Inscription on the front flyleaf of Volume 1, second issue, October 1, 1808:
"This Copyof the first two volumes of the ornithology was purchased in Paisley when procuring information and materials for the Biography of Wilson. on shewing them to Mr. Ord while at Jardine Hall in 1855, he recognized the hand writing of Wilson on the title of the 2nd volume and considered it as one of the very first copies of the work coloured by Wilson's own hand. The first copy he presented to his father, the second to his friend Bartram-- This Edition is remarkable also in plate VII, in the later editions the red bellied Woodpecker in plate VII was not considered fortunate in attitude was altered bu Mr Lawson as may be seen on comparing the annexed plate copied from the second edition with that in this volume. The attitude of the head was erased and reengraved-- the Insect on the Branch on which the cedar Bird is perched added
Jardine Hall
oct. 3d 1855"
ProvenanceVolumes 1 and 2 were presented to William Bartram (the inscription is in volume 2). Presumably Bartram was presented with the first issue of volume 1. The two copies of volume 1 and 2 were then owned by William Jardine (see the inscription in on the endpaper of volume 2). Volumes 3-9 are inscribed "John Ford." The entire set, including the Bonapart volumes, the original watercolor, and 2 manuscript letters were owned by Dr. Evan Morton Evans (1870-1955) and his son Daniel Webster Evans (1907-1966). The most recent owner, prior to being purchased by Colonial Williamsburg, was New York collector Gilbert Butler.
ca. 1787-1788
ca. 1805
1881-1889
