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
DateSeptember 12, 1811
Maker
Alexander Wilson
(1766-1813)
Publisher
Bradford & Inskeep
Printer
R. & W. 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 number2018-147,4
DescriptionLabel Text2018-147, 4- Volume 4
Contains a Title page, Preface, an Index to the forth volume, and
nine plates illustrating 26 species accompanied by text for each. For each bird, Wilson cited publications in which they had been previously illustrated.
Plate XXVIII
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo
Black-Billed Cuckoo
Blue Yellow-Bacl Warbler
Yellow Red-Poll Warbler
Plate XXIX
Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Plate XXX
Red-Winged Starling (male and female)
Black-Poll Warbler
Lesser Red-Poll
Plate XXXI
American Crossbill (male and female)
White-Winged Crossbill
White-Crowned Bunting
Bay-Winged Bunting
Plate XXXII
Snow Owl (male)
American Sparrow Hawk (male)
P;ate XXXIII
Rough-Legged Falcon
Barred Owl
Short-Eared Owl
Plate XXXIV
Little Owl
Sea-Side Finch
Sharp-Tailed Finch
Savannah Finch (male)
Plate XXXV
Winter Falcon
Magpie
Crow
Plate XXXVI
White-Headed, or Bald Eagle
InscribedInscription on the inside of the front board "John Ford"
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.
