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
DateJanuary 19, 1814
Maker
Alexander Wilson
(1766-1813)
Publisher
Bradford & Inskeep
Printer
Robert and William Carr
Edited by
George Ord
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 number2018-147,8
Label Text2018-147, 8- Volume 8Contains a Title page, Preface, an Index to the eighth volume, and
nine plates illustrating 44 species accompanied by text for each. For each bird, Wilson cited publications in which they had been previously illustrated.
Plate LXIV
Louisiana Heron
Pied Oyster Catcher
Whopping Crane
Long-Billed Curlew
Plate LXV
Yellow-Crowned Heron
Great Heron
American Bittern
Least Bittern
Plate LXVI
Wood Ibis
Scarlet Ibis
White Ibis
Red Flamingo
Plate LXVII
Black, or Surf Duck
Buffel-Headed Duck
Canada Goose
Tufted Duck
Golden Eye
Shoveller
Plate LXVIII
Goosander
Female Goosander
Pintail Duck
Blue-Winged Teal
Snow Goose (male)
Plate LXIX
Hooded Merganser
Red-Breasted Merganser
Scaup Duck
American Widgeon
Young of the Snow Goose
Pied Duck
Plate LXX
Long-Tailed Duck
Female Long-Tailed Duck
Summer Duck, or Wood Duck
Green-Winged Teal
Canvas-Back Duck
Red-Headed Duck
The Mallard
Plate LXXI
The Gadwall
Eider Duck
Female Eider Duck
The Smew, or White Nun
Ruddy Duck
Female Ruddy Duck
Plate LXXII
The Brant
Scoter Duck
Velvet Duck
Harlequin Duck
Dusky Duck
Marsh Tern
Sooty Tern
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.
