Rothschild's Genus Casuarius (Cassowary) - Volume with 24 Lithographs (18 Hand-colored, 4 without, & 2 Maps)

Artist or Author: Walter Rothschild & John Gerard Keulemans

Work: A Monograph of the Genus Casuarius

Date of Publication: 1900

Style: Volume with 24 Lithographs (18 Hand-colored, 4 without, & 2 Maps)

Paper Size: ~ 12 1/2 by 10 1/8"

Condition: The work is in good to excellent condition overall. There may be some toned or foxed spots to the work. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox marks to be expected with age. There is no title page present. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.

Description of the work: This beautiful volume on cassowaries is Walter Rothschild’s, A Monograph of the genus Casuarius It was published in by the Zoological Society of London, in London, in 1900.

The book is bound in half-leather with a marbled paper board inset with gilded notes. It has a gilt raised spine. This volume includes 18 colored lithographs of various cassowaries, two lithographed maps of New Guinea, and four uncolored plates. J. G. Keulemans contributed to the illustrations for the work.

Walter Rothschild (1868-1937) was a British banker, politician and zoologist. He was a member of the Rothschild family. Throughout his life, he maintained a fascination for zoology. He traveled Europe and North Africa on zoological trips, and was known to tie zebras to his carriage on trips.

J. G. Keulemans (1842-1912) is one of the most respected bird artists whose images were noted for their fine detail. He contributed to some of the best known ornithological works including those of Elliot, Buller, Dresser, and The Ibis. According to Jackson (Bird Illustrators, p. 90) “The great value of Keulemans' work as an ornithological draughtsman lay in his sureness of design of the plate and his accuracy in portraying the birds themselves. The bird figures were carefully drawn and executed down to the last scales on the feet. The feathering was neatly delineated with the different plumes receiving sympathetic treatment.”

Provenance: Owned by Professor William Gardner Hale, top British authority on wading birds