Gould's Family of Toucans - Volume with 52 Originally Hand-colored Lithographs

Artist or Author: John Gould

Work: A Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans

Date of Publication: 1852-1854

Style: Volume with 52 Originally Hand-colored Lithographs

Paper Size: ~ 15 1/2" by 22"

Condition: The work is in good to excellent condition overall. Truly stunning publication of the work, very clean throughout. There may be a few minor imperfections or faint marks to be expected with age. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.

Description of the work:

This stunning volume with 52 exquisite lithographs is John Gould's A Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans. This is the second edition of the work published in London by Taylor & Francis for the Author between 1852 and 1854. All of the plates were printed by Charles Hullmandel.

The volume is bound in 20th century dark green Morocco, intricately gilt boards and spine with 6 raised bands, all edges gilt. There are 52 originally hand-colored lithographs and one uncolored lithograph done by G. Scharf. The title page, dedciation, preface, introduction, and list of plates are present.

Many consider this work to contain the most stunning images Gould ever produced. The toucans are represented with true-to-life details. Rich, luminous colors and splendid composition combine to make the Toucans come to life on the page.

Gould was the foremost bird artist and publisher in Great Britain, publishing over 15 folio sets. He employed the best artists of his day to complete his works. A Monograph of the Ramphastidae features lithographs after Gould himself, his wife Elizabeth, Edward Lear (10), H. C. Richter, and W. Hart. Lear's stunning images for this work are considered some of his best zoological renderings.

The toucan family is limited to Mexico, Central and South America and some West Indian islands. The first time that any member of the family was described was by Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo y Valdes in his "de la natural hystoria de las Indias" (Toledo, 1526, chapter 42), in 1555 Pierre Belon included an illustration of its beak in his "L'Histoire de la nature des oyseaux" (Paris, 1555, p.184). Andre Thevet first used the name 'Toucan' with a long description, and a woodcut of a whole bird, in his "Singularitez de la France" (Paris, 1555, pp.88-90). The Latin name "Burhynchus" or "Ramphestes" (in reference to the size of the beak) was suggested by Conrad Gesner ("Icones Avium", 1560, p.130), and Linnaeus later adopted Aldrovandus' corrupted form of the latter ("Ramphastos") which is how the family was still recognized at the time of the publication of the present image.

John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of his plates. Even at the time of publication, Gould’s plates were very expensive and only sold to a small set of subscribers. Due to the limited subscriber list, the plates remain rare and of high value for collectors today.

Provenance: Charles Elliot Perkins (1840-1907) an American Businessman and President of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.