Audubon, John James (1785-1851) The Birds of America

Description:

Audubon, John James (1785-1851) The Birds of America. New York: by J.J. Audubon; Philadelphia: J.B. Chevalier, 1840.
First edition, seven large octavo volumes, inscribed by Audubon in volume one, to "Miss Lydia E.E. Greene with the affectionate good wishes of her friend and servant, John J. Audubon," dated Boston, June 8, 1844; and again in volume two, "Miss Lydia, E.E. Greene; and may God bless her, with the sincerest wishes of her old friend and servant, John J. Audubon," same date, the set bound in uniform plum-colored morocco; illustrated with 500 color lithographs of birds, plates 187 and 188 are bound out of order, plate 220 is bound in upside down, and plate 471 is misbound between plates 475 and 476; half-titles are present in volumes one, four, five, and six; no subscriber lists; with the book tickets of Little & Brown, Booksellers and Importers of Boston, and the tags of Plow, a bookbinding firm on the corner of Water and Devonshire Streets also in Boston; contents clean throughout, without spotting; bindings intact; spines and corners slightly worn, although all volumes were bound by Plow in a uniform style and leather, volumes two and three have slightly faded spines, 10 1/8 x 6 1/2 in.
The Boston Athenaeum lists a Lydia E.E. Greene as a member in 1854. (7)
Estimate $35,000-55,000


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